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Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
No decision to join proposed United Opposition Front yet, says Muda
Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz said Muda is open to working with any party that shares the same ideals, as reflected in its cooperation with PSM and Pejuang. PETALING JAYA : Youth party Muda has yet to decide whether to join Bersatu's proposed United Opposition Front, following a meeting yesterday between leaders of parties outside the government bloc and Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss the idea. Acting Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz said her party believes that the opposition must be firm, principled, and strong in holding the government accountable for the responsibilities entrusted to it. She said Muda is open to working with any party that shares its commitment to the same policies and principles, as reflected in its cooperation with Parti Sosialis Malaysia and Pejuang. 'However, no formal decision has been made regarding any political cooperation at this stage. All discussions on political alliances will be made collectively by Muda's leadership,' she said in a statement. Amira, who attended last night's meeting, said the participants shared a few core issues they each deeply care about, including the rising cost of living, the alleged growing abuse of power, and unfulfilled promises of reform. The other attendees included Urimai chairman P Ramasamy, Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, Putra president Ibrahim Ali, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy chairman S Arutchelvan, and Malaysian Advancement Party president P Waytha Moorthy. Earlier today, Ramasamy expressed his support for the Bersatu proposal, saying such a bloc could serve to consolidate the strength of the opposition, especially among Chinese and Indian voters, in anticipation of a more profound electoral shift in the next general election. Arutchelvan said no decision had been made for PSM to join the proposed grouping. He said any decision to join a new coalition could only be made by the party's congress. At its Supreme Council meeting on Tuesday, Bersatu authorised Muhyiddin to spearhead efforts to build ties with parties outside the government bloc to form a united opposition front. The party's secretary-general, Azmin Ali, said the initiative would entail discussions aimed at forging a unified position on issues concerning the rakyat's interests. Following last night's meeting, Muhyiddin said he would raise the views of the party leaders at the next PN Supreme Council meeting.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Urimai backs Bersatu's proposal for a United Opposition Front
Urimai chairman P Ramasamy had attended a meeting with PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, along with leaders of parties outside the government bloc. PETALING JAYA : Urimai has expressed his support for Bersatu's proposal for a United Opposition Front, comprising political parties outside the government bloc, to champion national interests. Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said such a bloc could serve to consolidate the strength of the opposition, especially among Chinese and Indian voters, in anticipation of a more profound electoral shift in the next general election. 'While the Chinese and Indian communities may currently be cautious about fully backing the opposition, PN must take the initiative to engage with them meaningfully. 'It is only through mutual effort that both the non-Malay communities and PN can find common ground to overcome the Pakatan Harapan-led coalition,' he said in a statement. Ramasamy's statement comes after a meeting held by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin with leaders of several parties outside the government bloc yesterday evening. Besides Ramasamy, others who attended included Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, acting Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, Putra president Ibrahim Ali, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy chairman S Arutchelvan and Malaysian Advancement Party president P Waytha Moorthy. At the meeting, Ramasamy said Muhyiddin gathered diverse views on how to enhance the opposition's appeal, particularly among the non-Malays. 'There was a collective recognition that both Bersatu and PAS need to adopt a more inclusive approach in strengthening ties with these communities,' he said. 'It was generally agreed that while the Indian community showed increasing receptiveness toward PN, the Chinese community remained hesitant, although disillusionment with the DAP appears to be growing.' PSM's Arutchelvan said although they welcomed the proposal, no decision had been made by the party to join the proposed grouping. 'Any decision for PSM to join a new coalition can only be made by the party's congress, in line with its commitment to the principle of democratic centralism,' he said in a statement. FMT earlier quoted analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara as saying that the small parties and groups Bersatu is seeking to ally with are not significant enough to attract more votes to help the opposition topple the government. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's Chin Yee Mun said non-Malays and non-Muslim voters would need more convincing to back the proposal. United Opposition Front may still work Ramasamy, in a separate statement, said whether the United Opposition Front succeeds or not will depend on a multitude of factors. He said under present circumstances, PN is clearly weaker than the PH-led coalition. 'However, political and social conditions are not static — they evolve, often rapidly. 'Politics is about a range of future possibilities. As one statesman remarked on the eve of a great revolution, the future belongs to the weak who comprise the majority. 'The timely formation of a unified front to bring both Malays and non-Malays under one political umbrella is a critical development in filling the existing lacuna.'
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Bersatu's proposed ‘United Opposition Front' likely to fail, says analyst
Bersatu's Supreme Council has authorised party president Muhyiddin Yassin to lead efforts to establish the United Opposition Front. PETALING JAYA : Bersatu's proposal for a 'United Opposition Front' is likely to fall flat, according to an analyst. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the proposal aims to unite Bersatu and other Perikatan Nasional (PN) components with all parties and groups opposed to the current government. 'But these small parties and groups are not significant enough to attract more votes to help the opposition topple the government. 'That is why I think it won't make much of a difference even if PN can get all the parties outside the current government to team up with it,' he told FMT. Azmi said parties such as Muda and Pejuang and the various other splinter groups were so small that their inclusion in the United Opposition Front would make little to no difference. Muda holds only two seats, both in Johor – the Muar parliamentary seat and the Puteri Wangsa state seat. Pejuang, meanwhile, fared poorly at the 15th general election (GE15), and failed to secure any parliamentary or state seat, with all its candidates losing their deposits. Other possible allies would include Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), led by Ibrahim Ali, which also lost in GE15, and Urimai, whose application to register as a political party was rejected by the Registrar of Societies (RoS). Urimai, led by former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy, is challenging that decision in ongoing judicial review proceedings. Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) contested the Ayer Kuning by-election in April but its candidate, KS Bawani, lost to Barisan Nasional's Yusri Bakir in a three-cornered fight for the Perak state seat. In June, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad sought to rally the Malays under a single broad-based movement, ostensibly to 'restore Malay power' in government. The big-tent alliance has brought together PAS, Bersatu and other Malay-centric forces. Mahathir also said Umno members were welcome in their personal capacity. At its Supreme Council meeting on Tuesday, Bersatu authorised party president Muhyiddin Yassin to spearhead efforts to build ties with parties outside the government bloc to form a united opposition front. The party's secretary-general Azmin Ali said the initiative would entail discussions aimed at forging a unified position on issues concerning the rakyat's interests. The proposal is expected to be discussed at a PN Supreme Council meeting scheduled for this weekend. Yesterday evening, Muhyiddin met with leaders from political parties outside the government bloc, including Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, acting Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy and PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan. Non-Malay voters unconvinced Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's Chin Yee Mun believes Bersatu's proposal is part of a strategic plan to reassert PN's position in the political landscape. 'The Malay unity slogan has lost its lustre and recently Muhyiddin has expressed his intention to make PN more approachable to non-Muslim voters. 'If so, it is a well-thought after decision, particularly when the unity government's recent policies and actions have raised some concerns among Malaysians, such as issues with the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST), rising cost of living, and appointment of senior judges,' he said. As to whether it will work, he said it may appeal to the Malay-Muslim segment who are not already supporters of PN. 'For the non-Malays and non-Muslim segments, they will need more convincing. As of now, the non-Malay, non-Muslim parties are aligned with the unity government,' he added.
