Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has brushed aside speculation of rifts within the party, saying his deputy Hamzah Zainudin remains a close ally.
“We are all friends. Of course, there are people who think otherwise or try to create the perception that Hamzah and I are not good friends.
“This is our dream team up here,” he said at a press conference after the party’s general assembly today, referring to the party’s Supreme Council.
Muhyiddin said he was optimistic about the formation of a loose coalition of opposition parties. “The prospects in the long run look good to me,” he said.
Asked about reports of meetings by the opposition parties, he said: “This is only our second meeting. The first was unofficial, and the second was an official one where almost everyone attended.
“One of the first decisions we agreed upon was related to the economy. But it’s not just about making decisions. We want to take further action,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the coalition would work on specific issues such as support for small and medium enterprises.
“We will take steps together with party leaders and meet SME associations, whether Malay, Chinese or Indian. That is not an issue for us,” he said. “Now we have cut across racial boundaries – we want to meet them and discuss,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the coalition’s cooperation could also extend to the electoral front.
“Of course, the question will arise on how we can work together, even though we come from different parties. Can we establish solid cooperation?
“Will they want to join Perikatan Nasional? Or will they form an electoral pact to avoid multi-cornered contests that could harm us? All this will be discussed. The prospects in the long run look good to me,” he said.
Last month, 11 parties outside the government bloc agreed to form a loose coalition to hold the current administration accountable and highlight issues affecting the people, including reform pledges they claim Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has failed to deliver.
