Bersatu must mend ties with PN components, says Perlis chief

Perlis Bersatu chief Abu Bakar Hamzah has called on his party's leadership to mend ties with other Perikatan Nasional (PN) components. The former Bersatu Supreme Council member, who recently stepped down, believes that Bersatu must accept the reality of remaining in a coalition like PN to stay relevant in the political landscape.

Looking ahead to the upcoming general election, Hamzah emphasized that Bersatu will struggle to perform well if it operates independently, and must instead become part of a coalition. As the chief minister of Perlis, Hamzah is reportedly aligned with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, whose new party Wawasan recently joined PN.

Both Bersatu and Wawasan were expelled from PN following a leadership dispute, while PAS assumed the PN presidency in February. Despite the fallout, both Bersatu and Wawasan remain PN members, alongside other PN components including Gerakan, the Malaysian Indian People's Party, and Pejuang. PAS-led PN has since sought to mend relations with Barisan Nasional, particularly in the Negeri Sembilan election where PN and the Barisan Nasional contested as an alliance and secured a two-thirds majority.

However, Bersatu's defiance in contesting 24 seats on its own resulted in significant losses, with all but one candidate failing to retain their election deposits.