SEREMBAN - Bersatu will form a new and stronger political coalition after the Negeri Sembilan state election.
Its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said the coalition would include parties under Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR), including Parti Putra and the Malaysian People’s Rights Party (URIMAI).
“I want to make it clear that after the Negeri Sembilan state election, Bersatu will no longer stand alone. InsyaAllah, we will establish a strong coalition after this election.
“As I mentioned when I first established Perikatan Nasional, many leaders came forward, including URIMAI president Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, who has expressed his willingness to work together with us,” he said.
He said this during his speech at the launch of Bersatu’s election machinery and candidate announcement for the Negeri Sembilan state election on Friday.
Muhyiddin said discussions had already taken place over the past year on the framework and concept of the proposed cooperation.
He explained that the new coalition would allow them to strengthen their position and be better prepared for the next general election.
When asked by reporters whether the proposed coalition would differ from Perikatan Nasional (PN), Muhyiddin said it was still too early to reveal details but indicated that a different strategy would be adopted.
“We cannot continue with the traditional approach. This is something we have carefully considered based on the interests of the people, as there are certain sentiments that require us to build a more progressive, rather than conservative, coalition.
“We also want a coalition that reflects the aspirations of young people, women, and other segments of society. These are among the considerations we are discussing with the parties I mentioned earlier,” he said.
However, Muhyiddin declined to reveal how many parties had approached Bersatu, saying only that the majority had expressed interest in joining the coalition.
“When we first formed IPR, if I’m not mistaken, there were already 12 parties involved, including the Malaysian Orang Asli Party. So, a significant number have indicated their interest.
“But I won’t disclose the details yet because the discussions have not been finalised. Once the negotiations are complete, we will make an announcement,” he said.
Muhyiddin stressed that, for now, Bersatu remains a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN).