Bersatu may defend all seats if Umno does not relent

PAGOH: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) may contest all seats it currently holds if Umno refuses to make way for the Perikatan Nasional member.

Party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he did not have any issue with Umno if the Barisan Nasional component did not want to collaborate with Bersatu in the 15th General Election (GE15).

“Umno can contest all 222 parliamentary seats if it wants because it can form a government if it wins. But if it does that, I want to do that, too. It can be a one-on-one or one-on-two contest because this is political.

“But I don’t want to say it because this might anger the people. I understand the statements by Umno leaders because I was in their position before,” he said after launching the Pagoh Special Economic Zone here.

He was commenting on a statement by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan yesterday that the party would not cede any of its traditional parliamentary and state seats, which it held in the 14th General Election.

Mohamad made this clear when he said: “Umno’s seats are Umno seats...in the past, present and future.”

Umno, said Mohamad, would not relinquish any of its seats for the sake of providing a lifeline to other quarters to ensure their political survival.

Muhyiddin, who is Perikatan Nasional chairman, said he did not want to discuss the issue of seat allocation in public because he was prioritising problems faced by the people, especially with regard to the economy.

“It is not because I am afraid but it is because there are other issues that need to be prioritised. People are worried because they don’t have enough money to eat.

“I don’t understand why some parties are not making this their priority.”

He urged all politicians to prioritise the people’s problems, including the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vaccination programme and improving the economy.