Hamzah, Samsuri, and Tuan Ibrahim have PM potential, says Wan Fayhsal

Summary

• Bersatu supreme council member Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal says Perikatan Nasional needs to choose its prime minister candidate from among leaders who have good ties with the Malay rulers.

• He names leaders who he says fit the criteria: Muhyiddin Yassin, Hamzah Zainudin, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

• PN also needs a paradigm shift to win the support of non-Malays and urbanites, Fayhsal adds.

Perikatan Nasional’s next prime minister candidate must be someone who is well accepted by the Malay rulers, said Bersatu supreme council member Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

Saying that it is one of the most important criteria that PN should consider when choosing their poster boy, the Machang MP named four Bersatu and PAS leaders who he believes can maintain a good relationship with the royals should the coalition form the government.

“As a senior statesperson, Muhyiddin (Yassin) surely has a good standing and relationship with the royals.

“But among other leaders who also have the potential (to be prime minister), and have good relationships with the Malay rulers, are Hamzah Zainudin and Ahmad Samsuri (Mokhtar). Tuan Ibrahim (Tuan Man) too when it comes to his relationship with the Pahang palace.

“So we have more than one potential candidate. But we have to choose the best, and this is what PN should discuss,” Wan Fayhsal said.

Hamzah is Bersatu’s deputy president, while Samsuri and Tuan Ibrahim are PAS vice president and deputy president, respectively.

Malaysiakini contacted Wan Fayhsal yesterday to get his response to PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin, who reportedly said the Islamist party should be leading the opposition coalition.

In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Hashim also responded in the affirmative when asked if PAS is ready to nominate its own prime minister candidate.

For the record, PAS has 43 parliamentary seats in the Dewan Rakyat to Bersatu’s 25.

Malay-Muslim support saturated

Besides having good ties with the Malay rulers, Wan Fayhsal said PN needs a leader who can win votes from the non-Malays and middle-ground voters.

“What we need is a paradigm shift because PN’s Malay-Muslim support is almost fully saturated.

“For this, we cannot rely on a single individual but perhaps we need at least several leaders from PAS and Bersatu who can convince the middle ground, especially the non-Malays and the urban section of the West Coast (of the peninsula).

“We need leaders from PAS and Bersatu who can help PN win the general election,” he said.

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