A NEW BN-PAS PARTNERSHIP?
IN this toughest of political times, Umno and Pas are ‘coming together’ in the battle for Sungai Kandis. An Umno leader indicates that the result of this cooperation could very well lead to a ‘solid understanding’ between the two major opposition parties
BN CANDIDATE SAYS ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST HIM; POLL SHOWS 65PC OF VOTERS SUPPORT PH
THE Sungai Kandis byelection could signal the start of a Barisan Nasional and Pas opposition bloc. The unprecedented cooperation between Barisan Nasional’s Umno and the Islamic party is hinged on the spirit of creating a stronger opposition.
Pas secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan had, on Friday, announced that the party was sitting this contest out, as it believed that a one-on-one fight between BN and Pakatan Harapan would give the opposition a fighting chance.
Newly elected Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said he hoped that Umno and Pas would continue to collaborate in the future and that this was the best arrangement in the current political climate.
“InsyaAllah (God willing), we would like to establish a solid understanding between us.
“I hope we will be able to strengthen the understanding between Pas and Umno and identify similarities that will allow us to continue collaborating for mutual benefit,” he told the New Sunday Times, adding that both parties had in fact sat together in recent weeks, including in a precouncil meeting to appoint the opposition leader.
Sungai Kandis, he said, was an example of healthy cooperation between both parties, where Pas agreed to BN’s candidate Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who is also an Umno Supreme Council member, being the sole opposition contender.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad put a label on this new alliance, calling Pas and Umno “siblings”. (report on page 4)
The Sungai Kandis seat fell vacant when Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, who won the seat with a 12,480-vote majority, died of lymphoma cancer on July 2.
It will be the first by-election after the 14th General Election, in which BN lost federal power for the first time in history.
Sungai Kandis will see a threecornered fight between PKR’s Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, 48, BN’s Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, 45; and independent K. Murthy, 60, a pensioner.
A survey, which ended yesterday, suggested that the candidate from the ruling party would have a strong lead in the Aug 4 polls. (report on page 4).
Lokman agreed that it would be tough to snatch the PH stronghold, but he was hoping the constituents would pick him as he was “no stranger”.
There was a time when he was a PKR Supreme Council member and actively behind the “Reformasi” campaign in Sungai Kandis, formerly known as Sri Muda. (report on page 3)
The by-election could have been a four-cornered one had Parti Rakyat Malaysia member Ahmad Kamaruddin not pulled out at the eleventh hour.
He thought BN was not fielding a candidate and withdrew when he learnt otherwise.
The nomination proyesterday cess was a rowdy affair with heated exchanges, albeit entertaining to those present, between BN and PKR supporters. At the nomination centre in Dewan Tanjung in Seksyen 19, Shah Alam, loud cheers and applause from both sides could be heard from afar each time a candidate was announced.
Zawawi, who was on stage with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was not spared the taunting by BN supporters.
PKR supporters, too, were mocking BN and its supporters.
Media and police personnel could not wipe the smiles off their face with the choice of words by the two factions.
The crowd, which gathered here since 7am, dispersed at 10.45am after meeting their candidates and the leaders of PKR and BN.