TAMBUN – Bersatu deputy president and Tambun incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said Perikatan Nasional (PN) will never forge an alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH) after the 15th general election (GE15) tomorrow.
This is because of DAP’s presence in PH, he told The Vibes in an exclusive interview here this week.
“No to DAP! We can never work with any coalition that involves them,” Faizal said.
He added that this was due to the “difference in principles and values” with the Chinese-majority party, which has been trying to make inroads into Malay areas.
Yet, when asked if PN would possibly ally with Barisan Nasional, Faizal was quick to dodge the question.
“I would not say anything at this point,” said the former Perak menteri besar popularly known as Peja.
On Wednesday, Bersatu president and PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin admitted to the possibility of PN forming a post-election pact with other parties, on the condition that they do not go against PN’s principles.
He did not say which parties or coalitions they were.
Muhyiddin’s remarks followed a blunder by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who said PN and BN could form a post-election pact to form a new government.
The PAS leader later said the media had taken his words out of context.
Speculation of a new government formed through post-election pacts is rife, as none of the three major coalitions contesting are expected to get a simple majority in the number of seats needed to form a government by itself.
It is possible that PN and BN could once again join forces to form the next government if the two coalitions do not secure enough numbers to win a commanding majority in the polls – something Faizal did not want to commit to.
“We will cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.
Observers caution that if this alliance takes place, the situation will be the same as in 2020, when Bersatu walked out of the PH coalition to join Umno and PAS to form the government, which saw Muhyiddin become the eighth prime minister.
Meanwhile, Faizal said that if his coalition gets the mandate to form the next government, PN will do whatever it takes for the interest of the country and the people.
“We should always put the people first. If PN forms the next government, we will plan and take the necessary steps to benefit the people. Thus, they should choose wisely who they will vote for.”
Tomorrow, Faizal faces an uphill task when he takes on Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) prime minister candidate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Tambun parliamentary seat.
In addition to Anwar, he also faces BN’s Datuk Seri Aminuddin Md Hanafiah and Abdul Rahim Tahir of Pejuang, running on a Gerakan Tanah Air ticket. – The Vibes, November 18, 2022
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