Tough for opposition to unite against BN ahead of GE15
It would be difficult for the opposition groups to establish an alliance for the election as they were still suspicious of each other.
(MalaysiaNow) – The state of the opposition at the next polls could be a far cry from the unity shown by forces opposed to Najib Razak during the 14th general election.
News of a meeting between Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Pejuang chief Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently turned into a he said, she said affair with both leaders providing conflicting accounts of how it came about.
Mahathir, who confirmed the meeting at a press conference on April 1, said Muhyiddin had come to ask for his support.
Muhyiddin meanwhile said that the meeting had been arranged by a Pejuang leader as part of a larger initiative towards an alliance ahead of the 15th general election (GE15).
The meeting came on the heels of the recent elections in Johor and Melaka where conflict and divisions within the opposition camp were given credit for handing Barisan Nasional (BN) an easy victory.
At both elections, BN, helmed by its lynchpin party Umno, was able to win a two-thirds majority despite the low voter turnout.
The results underscored the urgency of establishing an understanding among opposition parties, including those which had once worked together under Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Analyst Kartini Aboo Thalib however said that many major political figures still appeared to be playing tug-of-war.
“Everyone knows that political parties in Malaysia cannot go solo,” Kartini of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said.
“They need to achieve a consensus and agree to share power due to the many ethnicities and race-based parties that give rise to the need for a coalition.”
