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KUALA LUMPUR: The head of the PPBM Youth, Wan Ahmad Fayshal, has supported the statements of a fellow leader that the issue of dominance should not come up if his party, PAS and Umno worked together in the next general elections (GE15).
This, he said, is because there has been no dominant party in Malaysian politics for the past 20 years.
Comments by Pahang’s PPBM secretary, Saifuddin Abdullah, that there should be no problem of a dominant party if the three Malaysian parties formed a coalition for GE15 had elicited a strong reaction from Umno Vice President Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Former Johor Menteri Kissing said Umno and PAS were strong enough to be dominant.
Speaking to the FMT, Wan Ahmad Fayshal claimed that Malaysia has not had a dominant party since Anwar Ibrahim was fired from Umno in 1998, resulting in a split in the party.
The situation, he said, became even clearer after GE14, when all parties, particularly those of Malaysian origin, showed that they had their respective strengths and supporters.
“Due to demographic political changes among Malaysians, particularly educated young people, parties that are dominant by nature are becoming less relevant,” he said, adding that younger Malays were not caught up in the Malaysian struggles of yesteryear.
“Today’s Malays, particularly young people, are getting wiser and can evaluate (different parties),” he said.
No party today on both sides of the divide, he said, can form the government on its own given the current political situation.
PPBM Supreme Council member Razali Idris said that no party would be dominant in the future, citing the result of the Sabah elections in September.
“That election showed that no party can rule alone and, in the end, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) formed the government,” he said, referring to the coalition formed by Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and PPBM.
The Terengganu head of PPBM acknowledged the influence of Umno and PAS in the east coast states, but said this was not the case in other parts of the country, including Sabah and Sarawak.
That is why, he said, both parties needed the PPBM, which had its strengths that no one can deny.
“People are no longer afraid to change governments and most voters are not yet members of any party, so the number of members alone does not guarantee total victory.”
He said it was important for Umno, PAS and PPBM to strengthen their ties rather than “beat their chests” as it could lead to a split and see the return of Pakatan Harapan to power.
