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KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin canceled the highly anticipated launch of his Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance in Sabah on Saturday (August 29) evening, after recently experiencing several setbacks to formalize Malaysia’s new political alliance.
In addition to the sudden withdrawal of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) earlier this week, the failure of several Sabah-based parties to register has led to the launch postponement, The Straits Times has learned.
The prime minister will visit Sabah before the September 26 elections to elect a new government for Malaysia’s easternmost state.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) of Tan Sri Muhyiddin wants allies in Sabah to compete under a new NP logo that he unveiled at a meeting with party leaders in the state on Saturday morning, but negotiations on the campaign that begins in fifteen days have not progressed. Fast enough.
Although the Muhyiddin administration is called PN, it is an unofficial pact formed by the Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Umno, which was defeated in the 2018 general elections, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which controls the larger state. from Malaysia, as well as Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and several independent parties in Sabah.
Parties that had officially joined the PN include the Sabah Homeland Solidarity Party, as well as the Islamist PAS and MIC, though the latter backtracked this week saying it had done so believing the rest of the BN would do the same.
The once dominant Umno has preferred to compete under its decades-old BN banner in a fight for leverage since Muhyiddin was sworn in on March 1.
That was after most of his Bersatu, as well as supporters of former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President Azmin Ali, defected from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
“I think our top leaders have no idea how to move forward. Too complicated,” said an official from the ruling coalition, adding that the different interests to be resolved within the PN can make political stability elusive even after the snap. center.
Umno and PAS have called for new elections. Muhyiddin has also told Bersatu rank-and-file that he wants to get a stronger, personal mandate despite the current parliamentary term ending in late 2023, having fought hard to keep his slim majority of the 222 members of the legislature. .
ST reported on Tuesday that the formal registration last weekend of Senior Economy Minister Azmin in Bersatu was the last important step before unveiling the PN pact that has faced resistance from Umno, the government’s largest component.
The move came in concert with opening the party to non-bumiputeras: the term “bumiputera” is used to refer collectively to the Malay majority and indigenous tribes of Malaysia.
GPS, made up of parties that split from BN after the 2018 defeat, has maintained that it will use its own logo but supports PN.
In Sabah, Prime Minister Muhyiddin addressed public officials and expressed disappointment that “Sabah is not aligned with us,” as the state would benefit from cooperation with federal governments.
“Can you imagine? This is not politics, it is reality … a bit of a campaign but not really, this is reality,” he said.
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