No BN-PN alliance because Bersatu cannot be trusted, says Puad

“They all had a part to play in trying to “buy over” the support of BN MPs.

(FMT) – Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said any form of cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional is not on the cards as his party does not trust Bersatu.

The Rengit assemblyman said Umno does not trust Bersatu regardless of who was in its top leadership.

“BN-PN cooperation for the purpose of forming a new government is no longer relevant. It’s not something to be considered now, just a waste of time,” he told FMT.

He was asked to comment on a Bersatu leader’s remark that PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin stood in the way of the two parties working together and that a change in Bersatu’s leadership may be the catalyst for PN to reclaim Putrajaya through a new alliance with BN.

Another Umno Supreme Council member, Razlan Rafii, said it was not just Muhyiddin but also Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin and other leaders that made cooperation between the two parties impossible.

He claimed they all had a part to play in trying to “buy over” the support of BN MPs.

“It’s not just about a single individual because they’re all connected to one another. The move to buy over BN MPs started early on,” he said.

Puad also said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government should be given a chance to serve a full term, adding that the country did not need another change in administration before the next general election.

He was also of the view that Bersatu and PAS should play the role of a formidable opposition.

“Don’t stand in the way of the unity government’s efforts in investigating, improving and reforming the country’s institutions,” he said.

Yesterday, FMT quoted a party insider as saying a change in Bersatu’s leadership may well be the catalyst for PN to retake Putrajaya through a fresh alliance with BN.

A Bersatu leader who wished to remain anonymous said PN had missed the opportunity to form the government after last month’s general election because Muhyiddin was adamant in becoming prime minister.

The leader said many in Bersatu believe Umno may be more open to working with them if it was led by a more pragmatic leader like Hamzah as he would be more open to power sharing with Umno.

Muhyiddin, on the other hand, wanted to “finish off” Umno, he said.