PAGOH: Bersatu will continue to rely on its own strength to campaign in the Johor election, following PAS’ decision not to campaign on behalf of the party, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t ask anyone to help us campaign,” the Bersatu president said after accompanying the party’s Bukit Kepong candidate, Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, to the nomination centre at the Pagoh Sports Complex.
“Whoever wants to help is welcome to do so. In principle, parties in Perikatan Nasional should support one another.
“But if they choose not to, we accept it.
“We will continue to work hard based on our own strength as well as the policies and track record we have built over the years,” he said.
“I am confident voters know how to make their choice.”
Muhyiddin was responding to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement that his party would not deploy its election machinery to assist Bersatu candidates in the state polls.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari later said the party had instructed its election machinery, which had initially been assigned to support Bersatu candidates, to instead be deployed to seats contested by PAS and other Perikatan component parties.
On Barisan Nasional’s claim that Perikatan lacks the ambition to form the next state government as it is contesting only 33 seats, Muhyiddin said the coalition is focused on winning voters’ support.
He said Perikatan is contesting more than half of the seats needed to form the state government, and other friendly parties are also in the race.
“If you take that into account, the total is more than half. So don’t make assumptions too early,” he added.
Asked whether Bersatu would consider forming a coalition government if no party secured a simple majority, Muhyiddin declined to comment.
“That depends on the outcome of the election.
“As we have seen before, when there is a hung assembly, the parties involved will have to discuss how to form a government,” he said.
