KUALA LUMPUR – Is Bersatu losing its top dog position in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition? A former member seems to think so as he accuses the party of being a “yes man” to PAS’ continuous racial and religious rhetoric.
Dr Muhammad Faiz Na’aman said Bersatu was first formed as a moderate party and an alternative to Umno, which is seen as less extreme compared to PAS.
“After the Sheraton Move (in February 2020), there had been an influx of people joining Bersatu as it wrest federal power (from Pakatan Harapan). There had been no systematic efforts to inculcate in them what the party stood for,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
“Now, Bersatu is drowning in the local political landscape. Ask its leaders if they have a succession plan like PKR? Are there efforts to promote fresh and young faces on the national stage?
“Only PAS will benefit from maintaining a win in conservative Malay majority states such as Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu.”
In August, Faiz courted controversy when he quit Bersatu and his position as a member of the party’s supreme council, a week after criticising certain top leaders for running in the six state elections.
He had said the “strongest” component party in PN is slowly losing its respect for Bersatu, going as far as ignoring requests and negotiation decisions made by the latter.
This, Faiz claimed, was because that “party” knew that Bersatu was getting weaker from its leadership, current political intrigue, and figures who do not have the respect of the public. – October 14, 2023