Unified front needed for rakyat’s sake, says Bersatu rep

KUALA LUMPUR: Continued cooperation between Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will bring political stability to the country, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu (pic).

The Bersatu deputy president said the synergy between Bersatu and Umno would also benefit both parties in the event that a general election was called.

“Perikatan Nasional is a coalition that can and will bring much-needed stability. The logic in being united as a coalition is simple – winning an election always comes down to simple mathematics and the more united Perikatan is, the stronger the winning equation will be, ” he said in an interview yesterday.

Faizal’s remarks follow reports of discontent within the Umno grassroots, with many calling for the party to sever ties with Bersatu.

But the former Perak mentri besar said no political party could win the general election on its own.

“In politics, it is normal for us to uphold our party’s interest but our attention should be focused on easing the rakyat’s problems first, ” he said.

He said the current political scenario had left the people “frustrated and exhausted”, with the Covid-19 pandemic making things worse.

He called on all parties to remain focused on helping the people at this time, and to reduce politicking.

On Bersatu’s seat allocation for the next general election, Faizal said that he would be calling on party divisions across the country to assess the situation with as many members as possible.

“Overall, I feel we are making good progress and the chances of winning the right seats are there as long as the party serves the electorate’s interest consistently, ” he said.