PN courts 'moderate' allies to hit 112-seat mark in next GE

PN courts 'moderate' allies to hit 112-seat mark in next GE


Published: Apr 25, 2025 10:01 AM
Updated: 4:24 PM


Summary

• Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah says PN must always be open to moderate elements from other parties.

• Emphasising that moderation is crucial to Malaysia, he says this lies at the heart of Bersatu’s ideology.

Perikatan Nasional is seeking allies to help it reach the crucial threshold of 112 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, the minimum required to form the federal government in the next general election.

While expressing confidence that the coalition would be able to retain its current 74 seats, Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah emphasised that PN must forge strategic partnerships to secure the additional support needed.

However, he stressed the importance of moderation as a condition for cooperation.

“We must always remain open to moderate elements from other parties. PN must decide whether to cooperate with parties like DAP, either before or after the next general election,” Saifuddin (above) told Free Malaysia Today.

Ironically, critics, including DAP, often accuse PN - particularly PAS, which holds the largest number of seats in the coalition - of being extremist and divisive due to its frequent emphasis on race and religion.

Conversely, PAS has accused DAP, its former ally, on two occasions of being extremist, claiming the party harbours an agenda to undermine the Malay race and Islam.

According to Saifuddin, moderation lies at the heart of Bersatu’s new ideology, which embraces inclusivity, democracy, moderation, integrity, and compassion.

Promising trend

He added that Bersatu has welcomed other communities by forming non-Malay and non-Muslim wings, granting them equal status alongside the party’s Youth and Women’s wings.

“Moderation is crucial for Malaysia. We must not veer to the far right or left. We must stay in the centre,” he said.

Saifuddin is confident the strategy will benefit PN’s component parties - Gerakan, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, and even PAS’ non-Muslim wing regarding mixed constituencies.

“Recently, we have seen several leaders from Chinese-based parties joining Bersatu’s associate wing in Johor and Pahang, something that’s never happened before.

“This is a promising trend as we head towards GE16,” he added.

The 2022 general election resulted in a political deadlock, which was ultimately resolved when two bitter rivals, Pakatan Harapan and BN, formed an uneasy alliance.