Anwar says ready to call GE and ‘fight’ BN after it signals intent to go solo in Johor
Anwar says ready to call GE and ‘fight’ BN after it signals intent to go solo in Johor
Speaking at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) convention, PM Anwar Ibrahim suggested that Barisan Nasional’s announcement that it would go solo in contesting upcoming Johor state polls was akin to threats that could amount to “betrayal” to their unity government partnership.
JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that he is considering calling a general election in the near term, after Barisan Nasional (BN) - a partner in his unity government - announced its intention to go solo in the upcoming Johor state elections.
Delivering a keynote address at a convention in Johor Bahru on Sunday (May 17) by his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, Anwar said that he is “not surprised” by BN’s announcement.
But he added that if BN decides to not collaborate in Johor, PH is ready to also contest all state poll seats not only in the southern state, but also in Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang and Pahang - as well as potentially call for a snap general election.
“Now we are hearing that UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) and Barisan Nasional intend to contest all seats (in Johor). I am not surprised. But if they choose confrontation in Johor, then our answer must also be firm,” said Anwar, who is also PH chairman.
“If they negotiate properly, we will remain patient and wise. But if they choose war - then we will fight seriously. In the near future, I will call Pakatan Harapan leaders to discuss whether we should consider a nationwide general election,” he added.
PH is made up of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) as well as other small component parties.
It is the main coalition in Malaysia’s unity government, which also consists of BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), among other parties.
Sunday’s convention was attended by around 5,000 delegates and party leaders.
A day before, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that BN will contest all 56 seats in the upcoming state polls, meaning that it will go it alone and not cooperate with any political pacts.
While PH and BN are partners in the federal unity government, there is increasing talk that the latter is keen to contest solo in state and federal seats in the next general election.
In a recent interview, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said: “In the coming election, I am almost certain we will go solo. But we should not dismiss the need for an understanding with other party coalitions.”
However in his speech on Sunday, Anwar suggested that the move to contest alone in Johor, without collaborating with PH, was akin to threats that could amount to “betrayal” to their unity government partnership.
He said that he has taken a “constructive approach” in governing Malaysia, with even states controlled by the opposition treated “according to constitutional spirit”, but this does not mean PH is weak.
“Do not threaten us or move toward betrayal,” he said.
“That is why I agree with the suggestion: if they truly believe the time has come in certain states - in Johor, Negeri Sembilan - then perhaps we should return the mandate to the people and let (them) decide,” said Anwar.
“If the unity government is truly considered tired and exhausted, then let us return to the people - not only in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, but throughout the country. I am ready.”
Analysts told CNA that Anwar’s comments appeared to be “political rhetoric” in lieu of subsequent talks between PH and BN, adding that it seems unlikely that he would call for early elections at the moment.
PH “READY TO FIGHT”, SAYS ANWAR
In his speech, Anwar also highlighted that PH has “made adjustments” to its pace of making national reforms in consideration of its partnership with BN to preserve government stability.
“We listen. We make adjustments. Some programmes had to be delayed after considering all views. If reform were to move at full speed, many things should have already been done. But sometimes we move carefully because we want strength to remain solid, and we want the government to stay stable,” said Anwar.
“Politics must be stable. The country must remain peaceful. This requires collective strength. There is no reason for us to split apart - unless we are betrayed,” added the PKR president.
Anwar also said that PH had never broken political partnership pacts, even when PKR and DAP were allies with Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) under the Pakatan Rakyat coalition from 2008 to 2015.
“If there are people who want to launch a war against us, we are ready to fight. But we will act wisely. That is why, throughout more than three years under (PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang)’s era, we have never incited betrayal against our friends in Pakatan Harapan, nor against our partners in the unity government,” said Anwar.
After the last general election in 2022, results led to a hung parliament with no coalition having sufficient numbers to secure a simple majority. Anwar was sworn in as the new prime minister after securing the support of BN and other blocs in East Malaysia.
Since then, BN and PH have worked together in by-elections as well as in state elections.
However, the ties between the two coalitions have been strained recently when 14 UMNO assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan withdrew their support in April for chief minister Aminuddin Harun over his handling of a crisis involving the state’s monarchy.
Aminuddin is vice-president of PKR, a key component party for PH, while UMNO is the lynchpin party for BN.
Furthermore, the two coalitions have been trading barbs in Johor over electoral issues such as BN’s move to pass a Bill in the state assembly to appoint five non-elected assemblymen as well as PH’s call for redelineation of electoral boundaries in seats with a high number of voters.
In addition, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed a grand collaboration of Malay-Islamic parties, which observ