ALOR GAJAH – Perikatan Nasional (PN) has never shut its doors on negotiations with Barisan Nasional (BN), and the latter should quickly decide whether it wants to cooperate with PN in the Melaka election, said PN election director Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
He said BN should decide quickly to ensure that the election machinery can make more effective preparations at the grassroots level.
“(PN components) Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan have reached the stage of facing nomination day but Umno has yet to make the final decision. We hope a decision can be made early and not at the last minute,” he said here today.
Azmin, who is also PN information chief and Bersatu supreme council member, told reporters this after attending a meeting with the Masjid Tanah PN machinery near here.
Azmin said that he had also received information that certain Umno leaders and grassroots members are keen to cooperate with PN.
But this is an internal problem in Umno, which we should not interfere in. Umno needs to make a final decision on whether it wants to cooperate or not, and let the people judge which party is rejecting unity and which one is for establishing cooperation for the sake of stability in the state and country.”
Previously, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the party is sticking to its decision not to cooperate with Bersatu in any elections.
When asked if Umno is ruling out cooperating with PN in the coming Melaka polls, Zahid merely said: “I do not see (it going) in that direction.”
Not too late for Umno
Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said it is still not too late for Umno to establish cooperation with any party for the Melaka election.
The Umno Supreme Council will make a final decision on this at a meeting this Thursday, he said after inspecting preparations at the BN operations room for the Bukit Terendak polling centre in Sg Udang today.
The Election Commission has set November 16 for early voting and November 20 for polling day.
The Melaka election was called following the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly, a move undertaken after four assemblymen withdrew their support for Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali as chief minister.
The four former assemblymen who triggered the election are Datuk Seri Idris Haron (Sg Udang-BN), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor-BN), Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu-independent) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas-Bersatu). – Bernama, October 24, 2021
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