Zahid wants Anwar to call early GE16

 BN chairman says it would be 'better' for GE16 to be held early, but remains non-committal on alliances for the next nationwide polls.

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno’s grassroots are pushing for Malay political unity, referring to a cooperation with PAS.

PETALING JAYA:

Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno want Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to call the next general election (GE16) early instead of waiting for the automatic dissolution of Parliament at the end of next year.

BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it would be “better” for GE16 to be held early, although the Umno-led coalition is also prepared if the prime minister opts to see out the full five-year tenure.

The Umno president said BN must prepare itself for the next nationwide polls by addressing the people’s concerns, to ensure that the coalition remains politically relevant, Berita Harian reported.

“In my view, it would be better for GE16 to be held earlier,” he was quoted as saying.

The current term for the federal government ends in December 2027, after which a general election must be called within 60 days. This means that GE16 could be held in February 2028, at the latest.

BN is a key component of Anwar’s unity government, and backed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman alongside Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and others after the 2022 general election resulted in a hung Parliament.

Asked whether BN preferred working with PH or the PAS-led Perikatan Nasional, Zahid said his coalition must first weigh the pros and cons.

“We were willing to go solo in the Johor state election because of the political landscape there, but in Negeri Sembilan, we felt forming an alliance would be more beneficial.

“We have to consider the pros and cons of different potential allies. We want to see the political profit and loss account, whether we would be in the black or in the red.

“Political gains are what we are calculating in determining negotiations,” he said.

The deputy prime minister in Anwar’s Cabinet nonetheless said that Umno’s grassroots were pushing for Malay political unity, referring to a cooperation with PAS.

“Therefore, we make that a priority in (pursuing alliances). But we must also acknowledge that our nation’s diversity must be our foundation as we navigate the increasingly complex political landscape.” - FMT