KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has suggested that it takes time to find out how Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is different from its splinter party, now that both have banded together under Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Shahril said the differences between the two parties are no longer apparent since they are not on the same side, but he suggested that there may be difference of opinions in policy matters in the future.
“Bersatu has emerged from very specific circumstances which we knew about before GE14. I don't think they had a reason beyond that specific circumstances, but life in politics just carried on and now they have to reckon with their existence on their own terms and so do we.
“Over time I think the differences, if Bersatu remains as an entity to be reckoned with, will crystalise perhaps in terms of policy positions,” he told Malay Mail, but did not clarify his meaning on the circumstances.
“Now, [the differences], it is not tested because Bersatu’s existence was very specific and then they went into government and nobody talked bout how Umno and Bersatu are different. But now we are on the same side in the government, those questions need to be addressed and the answer will only become clear over time,'' he added.
Bersatu was formed in 2016 by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who was sacked by Umno for dissenting against Datuk Seri Najib Razak, among others on the matters of alleged corruption and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
Led by chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, himself a former Umno president turned vocal critic, the party became the destination for former political leaders who either quit or were sacked by the Malay nationalist party.
After forming government as part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition in the 2018 polls, the party was also instrumental towards the fall of the same government in March this year.
This led to the formation of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration together with former political enemies Umno and PAS.
Shahril even suggested to Malay Mail that there may even be a possibility for Bersatu to share the same fate as other Umno splinter parties that have gone defunct ― such as Parti Negara formed by Datuk Onn Jaafar, and Semangat 46 formed by Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
This, he said, would put an end to the question of the difference between the two parties.
“At some point, some resolution will come about whether it is policies differences or… parties have splintered away from Umno and have not survived very long.
‘'I wouldn't necessarily say that would happen to Bersatu but that could also be one resolution to this question of how we differentiate from Bersatu,'' said Shahril.
Earlier this month, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported that Bersatu and Muafakat Nasional ― the coalition of Umno and PAS ― are in talks over the possibility of allowing the former to join Umno, including the possibility of Bersatu being deregistered by the Registrar of Societies.
