Umno factor in Bersatu polls

The growing number of former Umno members joining Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is causing consternation among its grassroots leaders and members as the party approaches its internal election season.

(NST) – Sources in Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu told the New Straits Times that the main concern among grassroots leaders was that they might lose their positions to the “newcomers”.

This has not gone down well with grassroots leaders from Bersatu’s Penggerak Awal Pendaftar Keahlian (PAPK).

PAPK members have been responsible for gathering support and increasing the party’s membership since 2016.

They said they preferred to see “old faces” in Bersatu holding key positions, be it at the central or grassroots levels.

The reasoning is this — those who joined Bersatu after the 14th General Election (GE14) should wait and let the “warriors” who fought for the party against the previous Barisan Nasional administration have their turn.

“This is our first party election, so it is only fair to choose those loyal to the party from day one for important positions.

“The newcomers can wait for their turn. Are we not relevant anymore now that more wealthy former Umno men have joined Bersatu?

“That’s unfair for those of us who went around Malaysia (before GE14) holding rallies and ceramah using our money to ensure PH’s victory,” said one PAPK member, who is a grassroots leader.

The discontent among Bersatu members began when former Umno leaders, such as Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, joined the party, but the uneasiness did not last long.

This was because Mustapa and Mas Ermieyati showed no interest in challenging Bersatu leaders for positions when they joined.

One PH insider said to keep Bersatu members happy, Mustapa and Mas Ermieyati had once again declared that they would not contest in the party election.

“But many are expecting them to be appointed to the Supreme Leadership Council at the very least,” the insider said.

While party leaders at the federal level were trying to keep all members happy, they were torn between retaining the old faces and strengthening Bersatu, said one party leader.

As a new party, it would be reasonable for Bersatu to take its time to assemble its line up, but considering the political climate, the party is racing against time.

Bersatu has only 26 members of parliament, while its allies PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara, Parti Warisan Sabah and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation have a total of 113 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

By bringing in experienced former Umno leaders into Bersatu’s line-up, the leadership is expecting the party to become stronger.

According to one Bersatu leader, the party had bigger plans to ensure its survival, adding that the leadership believed that some former Umno leaders who joined the party would be valuable additions to the line-up.

“Like it or not, the survival of the party is more important than any individual.

“If we can have stronger grassroots support because their leaders were formerly with Umno, why shouldn’t we seize that opportunity?

“These people have vast experience and their involvement in Bersatu could give us an edge,” said the leader.

Nominations for positions in Bersatu branches and divisions, which falls on Jan 26, is an occasion not to be missed.

This election will chart Bersatu’s direction and answer the question many have been asking: can Bersatu stand tall with its allies in PH?

While party leaders may want to keep members happy by giving them positions, it would be wiser if they stick to the priorities. After all, as the saying goes, politics is a numbers game.