Tread carefully in working with ‘weak’ PH, Bersatu told

Urimai chairman P Ramasamy today urged Bersatu to tread carefully in considering political cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the Melaka state election, saying the coalition is “at one of its weakest political points”.

The former Penang deputy chief minister said Bersatu should instead use the state election as a testing ground for broader political cooperation ahead of the 16th general election (GE16).

Ramasamy said PKR, DAP and Amanah had all seen a decline in political support, while PKR and DAP had lost much of their non-Malay support and DAP itself could no longer take Chinese support for granted.

He said Bersatu alone could not shape the outcome there, although wider electoral cooperation could help it avoid three-cornered fights and consolidate Malay and non-Malay votes.

“Melaka should therefore be treated as a political testing ground, a platform through which Bersatu can develop, test and sustain a broader political formula in preparation for GE16,” he said in a statement today.

Bersatu, a Perikatan Nasional (PN) component, has confirmed that it will contest the state election in Melaka, and is set to use its own logo amid a rift with PAS, which leads the coalition.

Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali also said the party was ready to hold talks on electoral pacts with other parties despite previously ruling out such cooperation.

PAS ended its political cooperation with Bersatu in June, further straining relations in PN.

In the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election, PAS led PN into an electoral alliance with Barisan Nasional (BN), while Bersatu contested alone and failed to win any of the 24 seats it contested.

Bersatu has since been linked to speculation of a possible pact with PH, particularly after leaders from their Melaka chapters held a dinner last month.

Ramasamy said Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin should take the initiative to build a broader coalition capable of challenging the combined strength of BN and PAS.

However, he said the objective should not be limited to seat negotiations for the Melaka polls, but should focus on developing an alternative political arrangement ahead of GE16.

“If Bersatu wants to remain relevant, it must move beyond simply defending its existing political territory.

“It must demonstrate that it can provide leadership to a wider political coalition,” he said.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.