Many politicians don't get federalism concept, says PKR sec-gen

Many politicians do not understand federalism and governing coalition concepts, said newly minted PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh.

She said this lack of comprehension confused some leaders, who expect parties to perform in the same way at all levels.

“In our country, this was the first time we saw a coalition (federal) government formed (between rivals). This is why we are not mature yet in understanding (the concept) of a coalition.

“Because in the concept of a coalition, a federal government’s coalition may be different from the coalition of parties that we have in the states.

“And within the concept of federalism, the federal government must respect the state governments, and vice versa,” she told Malaysiakini in a recent interview.

Fuziah, who was appointed PKR secretary-general in September, made the remarks when asked how she would address the ongoing tussle between Sarawak PKR and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

While both PKR and GPS are part of the federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, they are not working together in GPS-controlled Sarawak.

Their leaders recently traded barbs over the next Sarawak election after GPS warned PKR to stay out of the polls.

This was met with a hostile response from a Sarawak PKR leader, who told GPS they should toe the line if they want to continue their federal cooperation into the next general election.

Fuziah stressed that it is important for political leaders, including those from PKR, to understand they now have different types of cooperation in different states.

For example, she pointed to Pahang, saying that while the state government is a BN-Harapan coalition, it is a BN-majority and Harapan-minority administration, whereas in Perak they have the opposite (Harapan majority, BN minority).

Selangor and Penang are both under the full control of Harapan while Johor is a BN-led state without Harapan as part of its government, Fuziah added.

“This is what some do not understand and they expect the federal coalition to perform in the same manner in the states.

“Like Sarawak, it is a GPS government, while Sabah is a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) plus Harapan.

“So, what happened in Sarawak was because of a misunderstanding about the concept of a coalition, when what happens in (Sarawak) should not affect federal affairs,” said Fuziah, who is also the domestic trade and costs of living deputy minister.

Tussle in Johor

Adding further, she pointed to the recent Mahkota by-election in Johor where Harapan campaigned for BN to retain the state seat.

She said they did not need to work together in the state polls because BN governs Johor but Harapan did so anyway out of friendship.

“It is wrong for Harapan to ask for a position in (the) Johor (state government) because we never formed a coalition in the state, but it was also wrong for BN to expect us to help them (in Mahkota),” she said.

Fuziah was referring to a recent row between Amanah and Umno in Johor over the Mahkota state seat after the Kluang Amanah division announced its intention to contest there.

Umno won the seat in the 2022 Johor state election.

This had sparked talks about a tussle between Umno and Amanah before the latter’s president Mohamad Sabu rapped his party members for using the media to lobby for the seat.

In response to Kluang Amanah’s statement, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan told them to help BN’s candidate rather than try to claim the seat.

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