Kit Siang: Parti Pribumi can be game changer
(MMO) – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia can be a game changer if it wins a sizeable portion of Umno votes in next general election, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today.
He said it is not enough for the opposition to have straight fights against Barisan Nasional (BN) to prevent Selangor from falling back to the federal ruling coalition.
“If Bersatu can win 40 per cent of the popular vote in Umno-contested constituencies, then Bersatu can win up to 23 state assembly seats in Selangor, which will deny Umno/ BN the prize of recapturing the Selangor state government in 14GE.
“Similarly, for Johor and the states outside the northern belt of Peninsular Malaysia, Bersatu can play a catalytic and far-reaching impact in the outcome of the 14GE results,” Lim said in a statement.
Former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin registered Bumiputera-centred Parti Pribumi with the Registrar of Societies Tuesday.
The party, of which Muhyiddin is president while former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is chairman, will restrict non-Bumiputera to associate membership, which means they will not be allowed to vote or contest for party positions.
Lim stressed today that the opposition must present a cohesive purpose and be united beyond one-to-one contests against BN in order to win back voters’ trust.
“The opposition needs a new agenda for change that builds on the Common Policy Framework and the many policy positions which Pakatan Rakyat took as a united coalition before it was dissolved,” said the Gelang Patah MP.
He estimated a drop of support for DAP, PKR and PAS in Selangor in the 14th general election, due by 2018, based on the recent Sungai Besar by-election results that saw BN sweep to victory in a multi-cornered contest against PAS and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).
Lim said based on his projection, the DAP, PKR and PAS would only win 24 seats out of the 56-seat state legislative assembly in Selangor, short of five seats to retain the state government.
He predicted that PAS would win only one seat from 15 previously won in the 13th general election, PKR 11 seats from the previous 14, and the DAP 12 seats from the previous 15.
“The reality that PAS will be the biggest losers in Selangor is no great comfort to the DAP given the likelihood that the Selangor state government will fall back to the BN.
“This can and should be avoided. But it cannot be avoided merely by agreeing to have one-on-one fights against the BN in Selangor,” said Lim.
