PETALING JAYA: Bersatu and PAS appear to be using DAP as a scapegoat to reject Umno’s “grand coalition” to unite Malay-Muslim parties in the hope of derailing it, says an analyst.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said in doing so, the two Perikatan Nasional (PN) components risked giving the perception that they prioritised their political agenda over the unification of Malay-Muslims.
Azmi added that Bersatu and PAS’s argument against the grand coalition was weak, since Umno and DAP’s relationship was only in governing the country.
“As a matter of fact, DAP and Umno are always seen opposing each other (with certain leaders often trading barbs with one another).
“So Bersatu and PAS are just making excuses not to join the ‘grand coalition’, with DAP as the scapegoat,” he told FMT.
Earlier this week, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said Bersatu would not take part in the proposal by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as long as the latter continued to work with DAP.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang meanwhile said the party would only join Zahid’s Malay unity plan if the alliance was anchored by a government guided by the commands of Allah.
PAS assistant secretary-general Syahir Che Sulaiman also said the Islamic party would only work with Umno if the latter was willing to cut ties with DAP.
Umno and DAP were once arch-rivals but are now allies in the unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Both parties have worked together in several elections now.
Umno leaders have repeatedly brushed off the notion that the party is subservient to DAP, with deputy president Mohamad Hasan describing their partnership as merely to govern the country.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University questioned whether PAS would stick to its anti-DAP principle if the political landscape changes after the next general election (GE16).
“If PAS wins enough seats in GE16 to be invited to form the government, but not enough seats to form it on its own, will PAS reject the offer to join the government because of DAP?”
He said the situation was different for Bersatu, as Muhyiddin’s refusal to work with the unity government was more due to personal factors than ideological reasons.
“As a former prime minister, he is too proud to work under another prime minister,” he said.
However, Bersatu’s stand could change if it was led by Hamzah Zainudin or another leader, he added.
