SHAH ALAM – A clash between Pas and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the Johor state election will only benefit Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman stressed that grassroots voices and the aspirations of the Malay community must be taken into account by avoiding contests between like-minded parties.
“As much as possible, do not let ‘clans’ clash. If they do, PH benefits.
“Winning the cheers but losing the village. Unless there are parties that want to become a ‘stepping stone’ for PH, as was attempted before.
“At that time Pas blocked it and hopefully it will not happen again,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Bersatu is ready to face Pas in the Johor state election if both parties contest the same seats.
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the party does not want any conflict within Perikatan Nasional (PN), but is prepared for any possibility following Pas’ decision to end political cooperation.
Commenting further on seat distribution, Syahir said negotiations for the Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections should be based on the principle of incumbency.
He added that the remaining seats should be determined based on winnability, taking into account the strength of party machinery, public support and candidate acceptability.
“Meanwhile, matters related to the use of logos and issuance of candidate appointment letters are subject to the decision of the PN Supreme Council and the signature of the coalition chairman.
“Even if we are to contest, do not provoke it. Pas has been contesting for 75 years.
“If we are aligned, we move together. It is up to the wisdom of the top leadership,” he said.