SUBANG, Nov 6 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hoped his coalition’s impending clashes with informal ally Barisan Nasional in the Melaka state election will not “create any major issue” at the federal level where both are part of the government.
He said that the federal government included many political parties for the stake of stability, and that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob from Umno was willing to work with everyone.
“Even the present government is willing to sign an MOU with the Opposition, for example. And I think this is okay, as far as the federal government is concerned.
“So, hopefully, it will not in any way create any major issue and I think the Prime Minister Datuk (Seri) Ismail (Sabri Yaacob), hopefully, will be working well with the rest of the members of the cabinet whether they come from Barisan Nasional or from Perikatan Nasional,” he said in a press conference after announcing PN candidates for Melaka PRN today.
Muhyiddin added that PN as a coalition “respected” BN’s decision to go alone in Melaka.
He said, however, that the situation also gave an opportunity for Melaka voters to make the right choice between PN, BN as well as Pakatan Harapan (PH) that will also contest all 28 seats.
“So, now it is much more clear that there are maybe three major coalitions, but I do believe and I trust the people of Melaka have a very sharp knowledge of the political situation, they have seen what Perikatan Nasional has done especially during my tenure as the prime minister.
“They have continued to live whatever the situation and we believe that we have a strong support for Perikatan (Nasional) in Melaka,” he said.
In regards of the statutory declarations made mandatory to BN candidates, Muhyiddin said PN and their respective component parties trusted their candidates to be loyal.
“To date, there is no proposal to use the official SD or anything like that because we are sure that all the candidates are loyal enough to what their respective parties have provided- I am sure that the leadership knows their candidates and give their undivided loyalty to,” he said.
