PUTRAJAYA: Acknowledging that there were elements of betrayal in the political cooperation in Negri Sembilan, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has claimed of attempts to topple the state government.
“When we look at our experience in Negri Sembilan, there were certainly efforts to bring down the government despite the state’s political and economic stability.
“To me, that reflects a degree of betrayal,” said the Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman.
Anwar said if there were no elements of betrayal, all parties would instead focus on strengthening understanding regarding the existing political cooperation.
His remarks came amid an ongoing war of words between Pakatan and Barisan Nasional leaders over claims of betrayal following the dissolution of the Negri Sembilan state assembly on June 5.
After the state election in 2023, a unity coalition of Pakatan and Barisan had jointly administered the state.
Anwar said his earlier comments on this issue were not intended to accuse any particular party, but to stress the importance of avoiding acts that could undermine cooperation within the government.
“If there is no betrayal, then that is fine. But we must improve our understanding of why cooperation and consensus are important, and when elections are necessary at the appropriate time, then we proceed,” he said.
The Prime Minister also called on political parties to exercise patience and prioritise efforts to strengthen the economy and address issues affecting the people rather than becoming preoccupied with election campaigns.
“We spend the next three or four months focusing on elections, when we could instead spend the time concentrating on the economic crisis and issues affecting the rakyat.
“Our focus should be on generating economic growth, strengthening the country’s economy and resolving the people’s problems,” he said.
