NILAI: A new coalition will be formed after the Negri Sembilan election, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, declaring that Bersatu "will not be alone" after the Aug 1 state polls.
The Bersatu president said a "formidable" alliance would be shaped within a year, in time to face the next general election.
He revealed that Prof P. Ramasamy – the former Penang deputy chief minister who chairs Urimai, a member of the loose opposition grouping Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) – had expressed readiness to discuss what form the cooperation would take.
"After this state election, Bersatu will no longer be alone. We will form a formidable coalition," he told party members when announcing Bersatu's candidates for the Negri Sembilan polls here on Friday (July 17).
Muhyiddin also defended the party's decision to contest under its own logo, saying many now regarded Perikatan Nasional as "toxic" and had strayed from its original struggle.
He pointed to the Johor election, where Bersatu contested under the Perikatan logo, as a lesson learnt as anger over statements by PAS leaders spilt onto the party.
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"There was no red on the ballot paper. Voters who did not like PAS had no choice and in the end we got zero, PAS also zero," he said, referring to Perikatan's wipeout in the July 11 Johor polls, where it failed to win any of the 56 seats.
He said with Bersatu contesting under its own logo, Negri Sembilan voters could distinguish the party's "principles and track record" from Perikatan's.
On comments that contesting under its own banner was a risky move, he said:
"So what? Contesting on a Perikatan ticket is also a big risk. On Bersatu's ticket, the risk is not as big".
He said the party would treat the result as a measure of its standing and would conduct a detailed study of voter trends in the state – "not just a post-mortem" and beyond mere vote tallies.
Calling the election a fight for the party's dignity, Muhyiddin ordered the Bersatu machinery nationwide to descend on Negri Sembilan, telling members to work "10 times harder" to reach every voter in every polling district.
Bersatu announced on Wednesday that it would not use the Perikatan logo after seat negotiations within the coalition stalled amid PAS' move towards cooperation with Barisan Nasional, which is contesting 25 of 36 seats.
Bersatu is set to clash with PAS in Serting, Ampangan, Paroi and Bagan Pinang.
The party will also clash with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin’s Parti Wawasan Negara in Klawang, Sikamat, Mambau and Gemas.
Bersatu is not clashing with Gerakan and the MIPP in Bukit Kepayang and Lukut, respectively.
Nomination day for the Negri Sembilan polls is on Saturday (July 18), with polling on Aug 1.
