NEWLY-MINTED Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has indicated at his party’s seventh annual general assembly in Shah Alam yesterday (Nov 30) that it was not impossible for Parliament to be dissolved before its term ends in 2027.
In so claiming, the former PKR deputy president prior to his sacking and jumping ship has urged party delegates to prepare for the possibility of snap polls.
Over the past 24 months, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led government has been hit by criticism from all sides and there have definitely been attempts to de-stabilise the unity government.
Doubtlessly, no government in this country can last long without the support or endorsement of the Malays, the majority population.
On a similar note, PN cannot hope to form the Federal Government without support from the non-Malay electorate, including those from Sabah and Sarawak.
Hence, the opposition coalition must find ways to win the support of non-Malay voters by adopting a fresh approach in engaging with the latter.\
Although Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is currently the president of Bersatu, a splinter of UMNO, as well as assuming the PN chairmanship, it is PAS that is providing the solid foundation and backbone for the PN coalition.
Without PAS, Bersatu would have lost its significance as envisaged by its then founder Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Its objective then was to kill UMNO politically and take its place as the champion of the Malays in this country.
Although PN claims that they already have strong support from the Malay community, it cannot be complacent but must expand its support beyond this demographic.
As it is, many non-Malays and non-Muslims are anxious and fearful of PAS which is the largest component party within PN given the Islamist party holds the most seats in the lower house due to its policies aimed at making Malaysia an Islamic country.
Are Bersatu leaders prepared to close ranks and reconcile with UMNO as both parties share a common ideology? Or should Bersatu rebrand for its future direction?
In order to win the hearts of the non-Malays, Bersatu is banking on its new document – the deemed Bersatu ideology – to overcome its biggest hurdle in capturing federal power while at the same time pulling non-Malays to its side.
After all, PN secured a total of 74 seats at the 2022 general election which was just eight seats behind Pakatan Harapan (PH). – Nov 1, 2024
M. Vivekananthan has served the Malaysian government at various ministries and agencies for 30 years.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Saifuddin Abdullah 🇲🇾 (@saifuddinabd)/X
