Malacca Bersatu signals willingness to work with Harapan amid BN-PN talks

Malacca Bersatu is open to talks with parties that share common ground, including Pakatan Harapan, as it weighs possible political arrangements ahead of the state election.

However, the party’s state information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim said any electoral cooperation should exclude parties that had betrayed the trust and spirit of cooperation previously established within Perikatan Nasional.

“Any negotiations, understanding, or political cooperation involving Bersatu will be subject to the wisdom and decision of the president and the party’s central leadership,” Hishamuddin (above) was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.

The position comes amid shifting political alliances ahead of the Malacca polls, with both BN and PN exploring potential partnerships.

Bersatu contested under its own logo in the recent Negeri Sembilan state election after seat negotiations within PN stalled as PAS pursued cooperation with BN.

Mature, pragmatic discussions

Hishamuddin said the outcomes of the Negeri Sembilan and Johor elections would be among the factors considered by the state and central leadership.

“The experience and the election results in Negeri Sembilan and Johor will certainly be among the factors that the state and central leadership need to seriously evaluate.

“For the party’s survival and future, all options must be studied rationally and with an open mind,” he was quoted as saying.

He said Malacca Bersatu was prepared to discuss forms of political cooperation that served the party’s strategic interests while offering voters a better alternative.

“Any such discussions, if they take place, should be viewed as part of a mature and pragmatic political process,” he said.

In the 2021 Malacca state election, Bersatu contested 28 seats under the PN banner and won two - Bemban and Sungai Udang.

Both incumbents have since shifted their support to Wawasan Negara following the internal crisis in Bersatu.

On Aug 8, Wawasan president Hamzah Zainudin, a former Bersatu deputy president, said the party intends to defend the two seats held by its elected representatives, but stressed that BN and PN should make compromises in their cooperation.

Meanwhile, Hishamuddin said Bersatu had begun mobilising its election machinery early, with divisions instructed to prepare reports on their machinery strength, the local political landscape, potential candidates, and proposed seats.

Asked whether Bersatu would again contest under its own logo, Hishamuddin said the Malacca chapter was prepared to enter the election under whatever arrangement decided by the party.

Situation still fluid

The remarks come as the major coalitions continue to weigh their respective alliances for the Malacca polls.

On Sunday, PN chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar hinted that the Malacca election could be held in less than two months, while PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said talks on possible cooperation with BN had begun.

At the same time, Harapan is working out its own potential electoral cooperation with BN.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Harapan chairperson, said earlier today that coalition election director Amirudin Shari had been given the mandate to work out the details.

“We have given Amirudin the responsibility to work it out,” Anwar said after attending the National Maulidur Rasul Celebration in Serdang, Bernama reported.

Anwar, however, clarified that his recent meeting with Amirudin was related to Sukma rather than political negotiations.

Quizzed further on possible cooperation in the Malacca polls, Anwar reportedly said, “Room for cooperation… in life, we must cooperate. This is all about cooperation.”

No DAP pact for MCA

Any Harapan-BN arrangement could also face resistance from within BN.

MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon said the party would not cooperate with DAP in upcoming elections, including the Malacca polls.

According to the New Straits Times, Chong said that while the BN leadership would ultimately decide whether to contest alone or with another coalition, the party would prioritise the views of its Malacca chapter.

“MCA will remain firm in not cooperating with DAP,” he was quoted as saying, citing a resolution passed at the party’s annual general assembly last year.

Meanwhile, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan previously said the party would decide its political alignment for the state election at its Aug 28 supreme council meeting.

The meeting, chaired by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is expected to discuss the party’s strategy to secure a BN victory in Malacca.

BN won 21 of the 28 seats in the 2021 state election, while Harapan won five and PN two.

The Malacca state assembly must hold an election by February next year.

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