Kerjasama Bersatu Selangor-PH dedah kecenderungan lama pemimpin, kata Kiandee

Ronald Kiandee, the deputy president of Bersatu, believes Azmin Ali, Hilman Idham, and Dr Afif Bahardin are steering the plan for cooperation between Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Selangor. The former PKR leader, who is now part of Bersatu, expressed that he is not surprised by his party's proposal to partner with the Selangor government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Kiandee claimed that the leadership of Bersatu has always been keen on establishing relations with PH, even though it took time for them to openly express this desire due to internal opposition from figures like himself. "Perhaps that was their intention all along, and now it has come to light. The truth is, some of us here do not like them due to differences in political beliefs," he told FMT when met at Parliament after presenting the 2027 Budget.

Kiandee suggested that the cooperation could have been planned for a long time, and former PKR president turned Bersatu member, such as Azmin Ali, Hilman Idham, and Dr Afif Bahardin, may have played a role in this endeavor. On Thursday, Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said the Deputy Minister of Bersatu will finalize cooperation with the state government before the Selangor state budget is presented, with the terms now being finalized.

The announcement came amid growing tensions between PH and the Barisan Nasional (BN), key allies in the federal and state governments. Bersatu also shares a disagreement with PAS, which now leads the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Selangor State Legislative Assembly (DUN) has 56 seats, with 32 representatives from Pakatan Harapan, followed by Bersatu (11), PAS (10), Barisan Nasional (2), and one independent representative.

PAS's image has been tarnished due to the dispute between Bersatu and the alliance, while Ahmadi Hashim, a Selangor MP from PAS, downplayed the tensions between BN and PH and the PH-Bersatu cooperation plan, stating that in politics, friends can become enemies and vice versa. "It is normal for Bersatu to cooperate with PH in Selangor, even though Bersatu is still a component of PN," Ahmadi Hashim said.

He emphasized that it is not surprising if Bersatu cooperates with PH in Selangor, as it is their decision now that they choose not to be part of PN. Ahmadi Hashim also stressed that PAS does not expect any disputes within Bersatu to occur and actively avoids being dragged into internal conflicts within the alliance. "Whatever happens, the image of other allies in the coalition will also be tarnished," he added.

The internal discord within Bersatu stems from the intense leadership struggle between the party's president, Muhyiddin Yassin, and his successor, Hamzah Zainudin, which ended with Hamzah's dismissal in February. Hamzah, the leading opposition figure, now heads Wawasan, which also includes several former Bersatu MPs and MPs. "We are not interfering, but we are also affected by this situation and are forced to make decisions independently," he said.