Perikatan Nasional is open to working with moderate parties to form the next federal government, says Bersatu Supreme Council member Saifuddin Abdullah.
In an exclusive interview with FMT, Saifuddin said he is confident PN will retain its 74 parliamentary seats, but conceded that the coalition would need to look to allies to help it reach the 112-seat majority needed to form a government.
“We must always remain open to moderate elements from other parties.
“PN must decide whether to cooperate with parties like DAP, either before or after the next general election,” he said.
The 15th general election resulted in a hung Parliament, with no coalition winning a simple majority.
A unity government was later formed under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, comprising Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, and several independents.
Then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had earlier proposed a PN-PH unity government, which the PN leadership rejected.
Fellow Bersatu Supreme Council member Wan Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal echoed Saifuddin’s remarks, saying the national political landscape has shifted to such an extent that no party can expect to govern alone.
However, the Machang MP said any alliance must conform with PN’s core principles which are based on the Federal Constitution.
“If these principles are respected, then I believe anyone can work with PN to build a strong and stable government,” he said.
Bersatu’s moderate agenda
Saifuddin said moderation lies at the heart of Bersatu’s new ideology, unveiled by party president Muhyiddin Yassin last July with the aim of positioning the party as an inclusive and forward-looking 21st century-ready national force.
He said the ideology is premised on five key principles – inclusivity, democracy, moderation, integrity, and compassion – and reflects the party’s commitment to serving all segments of society.
The former foreign minister also said Bersatu has opened its doors to other communities by establishing non-Malay and non-Muslim wings, granting them equal status alongside the party’s Youth and Women’s wings.
“Moderation is crucial for Malaysia. We must not veer to the far right or left. We must stay in the centre,” he said.
Saifuddin is confident the strategy will boost PN’s appeal in mixed constituencies, which the coalition hopes to capture through component parties such as Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, as well as PAS‘s non-Muslim wing.
“Recently, we’ve seen a number of leaders from Chinese-based parties joining Bersatu’s associate wing in Johor and Pahang, something that’s never happened before.
“This is a promising trend as we head towards GE16,” he added.
