PN exco posts a ‘political investment’ by BN ahead of GE16, says analyst

An analyst sees Barisan Nasional’s (BN) willingness to offer Perikatan Nasional (PN) positions in the Melaka government if it wins the state election as a long-term “political investment” to build stronger cooperation ahead of the 16th general election (GE16).

Tawfik Yaakub said PN’s participation in the state government would not be necessary from a numbers perspective if BN secured a comfortable majority, particularly a two-thirds majority.

Instead, he said the offer showed that BN wanted to build ties with PN beyond electoral cooperation, including ensuring the transfer of votes between supporters of both coalitions.

“It is also a signal that the BN-PN understanding is not merely electoral cooperation but could potentially develop into a power-sharing arrangement in government,” the Universiti Malaya academic told FMT.

BN is contesting 23 of the 28 seats in the Nov 14 Melaka election while PN is fielding candidates in the remaining five constituencies.

Last Sunday, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said BN would allocate roles in the Melaka executive council to PN if their alliance succeeds in winning the state election.

Tawfik said PN assemblymen could also be appointed as the state assembly speaker or deputy speaker, or to government-linked companies and local authorities.

However, he said the power-sharing arrangement could raise questions among Umno grassroots members, especially if BN was capable of forming the government on its own.

He said the arrangement could also trigger competition for influence, including over the allocation of portfolios and management of state political resources.

“Zahid’s main challenge is to ensure that the understanding among the coalition’s leaders is also accepted by the grassroots,” he said.

Umno needs PN’s support

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said while BN had the strength to dominate Melaka and form the government on its own, cooperation with PN was important in the broader political contest ahead of GE16.

He said BN wanted to leverage PN’s influence, particularly that of PAS, to help mobilise Malay voters and give Umno an advantage amid several controversies.

These include issues involving Tabung Haji and donations to pay the fine imposed on former prime minister Najib Razak, which was a requirement for his conditional pardon.

“It has shaken the confidence of the Malays… and Umno needs PN’s support to retain their votes,” he said.

Mazlan said the cooperation was also driven by Umno’s desire to maintain the narrative of “Muslim unity” which, according to him, would be difficult to achieve without PAS.

“In Melaka, Zahid is opening the door to PN to safeguard relations for the future,” he said.

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