PAGOH: After two major defeats in state elections, Perikatan Nasional is now thinking of working with Pakatan Harapan in the upcoming 15th general election (GE15).
Its chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) said such cooperation would avert any clashes between the two coalitions and ensure a straight fight with Barisan Nasional, much like in the last general election.
“Officially, there have not been any meetings with Pakatan but there have been some initiatives taken to discuss how Perikatan and Pakatan can avoid clashes with one another in GE15.
“But we have yet to reach any solution,” said the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president during his Hari Raya open house here.
The former prime minister also said that if leaders of all parties believed such a step was an important strategy in facing GE15, everyone could sit together.
“The question is: are we ready to do it and what will be the foundation for us to discuss this, and if (we) can make a narrative that is easily understood by everyone?” he said.
Bersatu was part of Pakatan when it swept to victory in the last general election but Muhyiddin pulled his party out in February 2020, which then led to the collapse of the government.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said he would welcome seat allocation discussions for GE15 within Perikatan, which consists of Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Sabah STAR and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), sooner rather than later.
He said seat allocations between Perikatan parties had become an issue in the past state elections.
Meanwhile, Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said Perikatan remained intact in Sabah although his party had become an official member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
“Bersatu is a component party in GRS at the state level (but) at the federal level, Bersatu is the main party that forms Perikatan. It stays that way,” he told reporters here.
“The Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) is a member of Bersatu but here in Sabah, we are GRS.”
Ronald was commenting on speculation that United Sabah National Organisation’s (Usno) entry into GRS meant Bersatu and Perikatan were fading out as a political heavyweight in Sabah.
He said he disagreed that the entry of Usno into GRS signalled the end of Bersatu in the state as most members would switch to that party.
Usno is led by former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin.
The other members of GRS are Sabah Star, SAPP and Parti Bersatu Sabah.