Fokus 126 kerusi mungkin isyarat PN ‘jalan sendiri’, kata penganalisis

Analysts suggest that the 126 parliamentary seats targeted by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition may indicate that the alliance is preparing independently for the 2016 General Election (PRU16), potentially complicating cooperation between the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and PAS. Annuar Musa, the head of communications for PN, sparked concerns about the feasibility of a future collaboration between PAS and Umno following his recent statements.

He emphasized that the possibility of a strategic partnership between PAS and Umno is doubtful, especially considering Umno's recent declaration of their desire to engage in strategic cooperation solely with PAS, rather than with any party within PN. This approach aligns with PAS's previous aspirations to retain all 126 seats they won in the 2015 General Election and strengthen their position as the main party in national governance.

In the 2015 General Election, PN secured 74 parliamentary seats, while PAS dominated 43 of them. Annuar, who is also a member of the PAS Central Advisory Council, noted that the PN and PAS alliance may not necessarily secure all 126 seats, as some could be won by coalition partners. However, Tawfik Yaakub from Universiti Malaya believes that winning all 126 seats is unlikely if PN faces three or more opposing parties.

He points out that such independent preparations could jeopardize the political understanding being built with Umno through various electoral races in different states. Tawfik asserts that cooperation between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN, whether through mutual understanding or other forms, might become a crucial factor for any coalition to achieve a comfortable majority of 112 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

He added that the idea of a dominant political alliance solely within today's dynamic Malaysian politics is merely a dream. Previously, Umno had signaled that pre-election political talks would likely be conducted directly with PAS instead of PN overall.