Latest news with #Perikatan
The Star
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sabah PAS at a crossroads as state polls near
SANDAKAN: As Sabah gears up for its 17th state election, Sabah PAS finds itself at a political crossroads – a Perikatan Nasional component party in the Opposition at federal level, yet friendly with the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. However, Sabah PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Aliakbar Gulasan stressed that the party's political direction remains with Perikatan. 'As of now, I feel I'm still among those who are friendly with GRS because it is part of the government, and that's based on the political history that began in 2020. "As for what will happen in the state election, if I look at the other parties, none of them have made a decision either. ALSO READ: Sabah PAS yet to finalise under which party logo to contest 'Everyone is still looking for friends, coalitions, and so on. In the context of Sabah, I think what's clear is that PAS remains within Perikatan. So any discussions are still centred on Perikatan,' he said after officiating the Karnival Keluarga Sandakan 2025 here on Saturday (June 14). Last month, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party aimed to contest at least six seats in Sabah, possibly under a different logo as part of a broader coalition strategy. Aliakbar, however, said no specific number of seats has been decided, and the party has yet to begin formal negotiations with any potential allies. 'For now, we are focused on strengthening our organisation within Perikatan,' he said. He also cautioned politicians against fanning regional sentiments ahead of the polls, warning that such rhetoric could threaten national unity. ALSO READ: Sabah PAS 'comfortable' with GRS, says state commissioner 'Sometimes, before elections, we act like there's a separation between the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. If we keep stirring that, it could lead to bigger conflicts or long-term segregation,' he said. On candidates, Aliakbar said PAS intends to field credible and honest individuals with strong religious grounding and a clear understanding of the responsibility of leadership. 'If politicians don't understand the concept of sin and reward, they could fall into corruption or abuse of power,' he said. Although PAS has yet to win a seat in Sabah, the party will continue its community outreach and leave it to the public to evaluate its performance, Aliakbar said. His appointment as the first PAS-nominated assemblyman in Sabah in 2020 drew criticism from some state leaders and civil society groups, who viewed the party as too extreme for Sabah's multireligious and culturally diverse landscape. ALSO READ: Sabah PAS invites non-Muslims to join as associate members While concerns were raised about the potential impact on social harmony, PAS leaders sought to downplay the backlash, stressing that their priority in Sabah was service and inclusivity. Despite the early controversy, Aliakbar has remained the party's sole nominated assemblyman and continues to openly support the GRS-led state government. PAS became part of the Sabah government following the 2020 state election, when Perikatan aligned with GRS and Barisan Nasional to form the state administration after defeating Parti Warisan. In 2022, following the 15th General Election, Perikatan became the federal Opposition. Its position in Sabah also shifted after Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and several state leaders left Bersatu.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Nga must address MyKiosk concerns, not politicise them, says MCA Youth chief
ISKANDAR PUTERI: MCA has called on a federal minister to apologise for accusing the party of trying to destabilise the unity government simply for voicing public concerns. MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said the party was merely carrying out its duty as a political party by raising public concerns about the MyKiosk 2.0 project. 'What MCA brought up are issues raised by the people. They are simple questions from the public that we are directing to the Ministry to get some answers. 'However, instead of answering the questions, MCA was accused of trying to disrupt the government. 'That is a baseless accusation and shows a lack of maturity,' he said in a press conference at the sidelines of the Johor state assembly here on Wednesday (May 21). Ling was responding to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who reportedly accused MCA of politicising the MyKiosk project to destabilise the unity government. He said that Nga should just address concerns on MyKiosk, instead of politicising the matter. 'Other ministries chose to respond or provide the necessary data. 'Unfortunately, the Housing and Local government Minister did not answer and chose to point fingers at those who asked the questions instead,' he said. He also slammed Nga for accusing MCA councillors of being lazy and implying that they were involved in handling and receiving tenders. 'They have been going all out to serve communities for the benefit of the people. This is a baseless accusation. 'These are malicious accusations and I call on the minister to apologise to MCA and also to our councillors,' he said. Ling, who is also the Johor health and environment committee chairman, said that it was also irresponsible for Nga to accuse MCA of trying to join Perikatan Nasional. 'He even claimed that MCA was doing all this to find an excuse to join Perikatan. 'It is unacceptable for a fellow member of the unity government to make such a claim,' he said. In the same press conference, Ling also slammed Kampar MP Chong Zhemin for urging him and his fellow state executive councillor Lee Ting Han from the party to resign. 'Chong also called for a stop to all allocations to new villages led by MCA community leaders. 'What have they done wrong? Are they trying to punish blameless people?' Ling said in response to a Facebook statement in Mandarin posted by Chong. On Tuesday (May 20), Nga reportedly accused MCA of deliberately politicising the MyKiosk project in an effort to destabilise the unity government. NGA also claimed that MCA was trying to tarnish the government's image so that the party could leave and join Perikatan His remarks come after MCA Beliawanis called on DAP youth to lodge a joint report to the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the MyKiosk 2.0 project. MCA Beliawanis chairman Ivone Low said the public deserved to know whether the project under the Ministry went through an open tender, the actual cost involved, site selection criteria and other details.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
‘Barisan win shows voters want political stability'
Hello there: Mohamad Yusri greeting locals in Batu Tiga following his by-election victory. — Bernama PETALING JAYA: The Ayer Kuning by-election has delivered a significant message – voters are prioritising political stability and national prosperity over extremism and divisive politics, say political leaders and analysts. Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the Barisan Nasional victory, with Tapah Umno secretary Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir securing a 5,006-vote majority, reflected growing grassroots support for moderate, multicultural and progressive political ideals. 'This marks three consecutive by-election victories with overwhelming majorities for Barisan, especially Umno, after successes in Nenggiri and Mahkota. Tuan Ibrahim attributed Perikatan's loss to low voter turnout. — Bernama 'It demonstrates that voters have rejected extreme and unethical politics that promote hatred, racism, verbal abuse, slander and false accusations,' he said, adding that the win reaffirmed the Barisan-Pakatan Harapan partnership. On Saturday, Mohamad Yusri won with 11,065 votes in a contest against Perikatan Nasional's Abd Muhaimin Malek and KS Bawani of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). Universiti Malaya's Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the result served as a wake-up call for Perikatan, which had expected to strengthen its grassroots influence in Ayer Kuning. 'Instead, it shows Barisan's narrative is resonating better with Malay voters who value stability and familiarity,' he said. However, he cautioned that Malay support was not uniform across the country, and future elections would provide clearer insights. International Islamic University Malaysia's Asst Prof Lau Zhe Wei noted that non-Malay voters, particularly the Chinese community, continued to shy away from third-force parties such as PSM and Muda. 'This does not mean there's no sympathy for them, but sympathy alone has yet to translate into votes,' he said, adding that a stronger third force would be healthy for Malaysian politics in the long run. Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said while the results were encouraging for Barisan and Pakatan at both the state and federal levels, the partnership still needed to work harder to address grassroots concerns. 'The margin should have been wider. Malay voters turned out in strong numbers but non-Malay voter turnout was noticeably lower, possibly because they viewed it as a Barisan stronghold,' he said. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali agreed, adding that the result showed growing acceptance of the Barisan-Pakatan cooperation, particularly among Malay voters. He said the win reinforced the partnership among the parties within the government, which is likely to continue until the next general election. Meanwhile, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man attributed Perikatan's loss to the low voter turnout and alleged abuse of government machinery. 'The Election Commission (EC)must do more to ensure higher turnouts during by-elections,' he said at PAS' national Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Lukut, Negri Sembilan. Tuan Ibrahim claimed that many of the party's outstation supporters had already returned during Aidilfitri and could not get leave again to vote. He also dismissed claims that Perikatan's focus on pig farms had alienated voters, insisting it was a genuine environmental and public health issue raised by both Malays and non-Malays. He argued that despite the loss, Perikatan had made 'inroads' and managed to secure over 6,000 votes. Tuan Ibrahim said Perikatan would conduct a full post-mortem of the campaign early next month and called for the EC to address irregularities raised by political observers, including groups such as Bersih.
The Star
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Ayer Kuning polls: Perikatan should be gracious in defeat, says Perak MB
IPOH: Perikatan Nasional should be gracious in defeat after losing the Ayer Kuning by-election and not make excuses, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad. The Perak Mentri Besar said Perikatan leaders need to accept that the loss also showed a decreased number of votes compared to the 15th General Election. "Accept the fact that the people of Ayer Kuning rejected them. That's the truth. "A win is a win. Whatever they say, the fact remains that we won," he told reporters after attending the Riang Ria Aidilfitri GLC open house here on Sunday (April 27). He was asked to comment on Perikatan's election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's remark that Barisan Nasional failed to meet its 18,000-vote target, which Saarani had previously mentioned. Saarani explained that the target was based on a projected 75% voter turnout but only 58% of the registered voters came out. "Only 18,500 people voted, so naturally we couldn't hit that number. "Still, in GE15, Barisan won with a majority of only over 2,000 votes. This time, the majority rose to 5,006, meaning we improved significantly," he said. Saarani also claimed that Perikatan had prepared excuses even before official results were announced. Tapah Umno secretary Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir secured 11,065 votes, defeating Perikatan Nasional's Abd Muhaimin Malek and KS Bawani of Parti Sosialis Malaysia with a majority of 5,006 votes in the Ayer Kuning by-election. Abd Muhaimin garnered 6,059 votes, while Bawani received 1,106. The by-election was called following the death of incumbent assemblyman, Tapah Umno chief Ishsam Shahruddin, in February.
The Star
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
'Dream on,' Zahid tells Perikatan over idea of forming perak govt with Umno
TAPAH: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has brushed off Perikatan Nasional's idea of forming the Perak government with Umno, calling it nothing more than wishful thinking. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman, said that Perikatan may have realised their waning support in Ayer Kuning, prompting the proposal. However, he said that such a move was unnecessary, as Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has thus far provided excellent service to the state. The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed confidence that, under Saarani's leadership, all development challenges and the needs of the people will continue to be effectively addressed. "It would have been better if such a proposal (Umno working with Perikatan) had been made a long time ago. "But it only came up now in Ayer Kuning - well, it's now 12.30pm - if we were dreaming, it must have just been a daydream," he said at a press conference after attending the Santuni Kasih Syawal ceremony with the Orang Asli community, at Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Kroh, here, on Friday (April 25). On Thursday (April 24), the media reported that opposition leader, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, said that the pig farm issue in Perak, particularly in Ayer Kuning, could be resolved if Umno were to merge with Perikatan to form the state government. Regarding the recurring national issues which Perikatan often raises during its campaigns, Ahmad Zahid said that these problems were irrelevant, as every local issue raised had already been resolved, as demonstrated in the Nenggiri (Kelantan) and Mahkota (Johor) by-elections. In a separate matter, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, clarified that he never mentioned the name of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in connection with the case involving the release of a responsibility letter as a trustee for Umno assets. Previously, the media reported that Dr Mahathir denied allegations that he had refused to sign the letter of release of responsibility as a trustee for Umno assets. The Ayer Kuning by-election was called following the death of incumbent Ishsam Shahruddin on Feb 22. This by-election sees a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional candidate Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir; Perikatan Nasional candidate Abd Muhaimin Malek; and Parti Sosialis Malaysia candidate Bawani KS. The Election Commission (EC) has scheduled polling day for Saturday (April 26). - Bernama
