Not a good idea to name Hamzah PM candidate, analysts say
4 hours ago
Nora Mahpar
Academic says such a proposal could cause more friction given that Barisan Nasional has already rejected another suggestion to name their pact Perikatan Barisan Nasional
Analysts say Barisan Nasional would not accept Hamzah Zainudin as the candidate for prime minister.
PETALING JAYA: A suggestion to name Parti Wawasan Negara president Hamzah Zainudin as the prime ministerial candidate may not go down well with Barisan Nasional (BN), according to analysts.
This could eventually undermine its cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN), the PAS-led coalition of which Wawasan is also a component, the analysts told FMT.
BN and PN have an “understanding” that they will not field candidates against each other in this weekend’s Negeri Sembilan election.
The analysts likened the idea floated by Wawasan secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah to rubbing salt into the wound for BN, which had earlier rejected a proposal to name its pact with PN Perikatan Barisan Nasional (PBN). The proposal was put forward by Hamzah himself.
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A remark about Tanah Melayu by PN election director Sanusi Nor has also forced BN to take steps to prevent an erosion of non-Malay support.
Mazlan Ali.
In any case, Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia pointed out, it is still too early to talk about a prime ministerial candidate.
Beyond the Negeri Sembilan polls, there are no firm plans to extend the cooperation between BN and PN to the next general election, which is not due until February 2028.
“Saifuddin’s idea of making Hamzah the prime ministerial candidate (which he floated in a recent podcast) could cause friction between BN and PN,” Mazlan told FMT.
He said BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would not agree to the idea, despite the Umno president saying that such ambition should be respected.
He also said Zahid’s remark wishing Hamzah “good luck” could simply have been sarcastic.
“Umno would not surrender the prime minister’s post to any other coalition unless the rival coalition wins more seats,” he said.
Mazlan pointed out that even within PN itself, its component parties had struggled to agree on who should be their prime ministerial candidate.
“What more when BN is thrown into the mix? It will lead to an entirely new conflict,” he added.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said the question of who should be the prime ministerial candidate has always been a sensitive topic in discussions on forming a new political grouping.
He said BN would not simply accept any candidate proposed by PN, as the two coalitions had different aspirations and interests.
Zaharuddin said the debate over PBN underscored the lack of trust between BN and PN.
“Announcing a prime ministerial candidate too early has the potential to reopen old wounds,” he added.
This could eventually undermine its cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN), the PAS-led coalition of which Wawasan is also a component, the analysts told FMT.
BN and PN have an “understanding” that they will not field candidates against each other in this weekend’s Negeri Sembilan election.
The analysts likened the idea floated by Wawasan secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah to rubbing salt into the wound for BN, which had earlier rejected a proposal to name its pact with PN Perikatan Barisan Nasional (PBN). The proposal was put forward by Hamzah himself.
Play
A remark about Tanah Melayu by PN election director Sanusi Nor has also forced BN to take steps to prevent an erosion of non-Malay support.
Mazlan Ali.In any case, Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia pointed out, it is still too early to talk about a prime ministerial candidate.
Beyond the Negeri Sembilan polls, there are no firm plans to extend the cooperation between BN and PN to the next general election, which is not due until February 2028.
“Saifuddin’s idea of making Hamzah the prime ministerial candidate (which he floated in a recent podcast) could cause friction between BN and PN,” Mazlan told FMT.
He said BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would not agree to the idea, despite the Umno president saying that such ambition should be respected.
He also said Zahid’s remark wishing Hamzah “good luck” could simply have been sarcastic.
“Umno would not surrender the prime minister’s post to any other coalition unless the rival coalition wins more seats,” he said.
Mazlan pointed out that even within PN itself, its component parties had struggled to agree on who should be their prime ministerial candidate.
“What more when BN is thrown into the mix? It will lead to an entirely new conflict,” he added.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said the question of who should be the prime ministerial candidate has always been a sensitive topic in discussions on forming a new political grouping.
He said BN would not simply accept any candidate proposed by PN, as the two coalitions had different aspirations and interests.
Zaharuddin said the debate over PBN underscored the lack of trust between BN and PN.
“Announcing a prime ministerial candidate too early has the potential to reopen old wounds,” he added.
Zainal Abidin Sanusi.However, Zainal Abidin Sanusi of International Islamic University Malaysia said proposing a “fresh face” should not affect ties within an alliance built on a strong foundation.
“If a proposal leads to cracks within an alliance, the issue isn’t the proposal. It simply means the pact has not been forged on principle but on a quest for power,” he said.
“Any party that is in a hurry to name its prime ministerial candidate is likely the weakest among the coalition’s component parties,” he added.
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