Gerakan in no position to critique allies, says Bersatu man

Mahathir Rais says Dominic Lau’s party has contributed little to Perikatan Nasional’s success.

(FMT) – A Bersatu leader has questioned a call by Gerakan for the opposition to conduct an in-depth study into the loss of Malay votes to Umno in recent by-elections, saying its Perikatan National ally lacked credibility.

Mahathir Rais said Gerakan had failed to secure a voter base, particularly among the Chinese community, and had done “almost nothing” to rebuild itself, including reclaiming seats it lost in Penang.

Gerakan had also been consistently sidelined in national politics, Mahathir said in a statement.

“Is Gerakan, a party that has been on the decline for over a decade, in any position to critique its coalition partners?

“And does Gerakan even have the credibility to speak on Malay voting trends when it struggles to maintain relevance in any voter demographic?” the Bersatu federal territories secretary asked.

Mahathir was responding to a suggestion by Gerakan president Dominic Lau that an in-depth study would help PN prepare for the next general election (GE16), especially with the coalition facing the increasing likelihood of a united Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan front.

Mahathir said Lau’s call for PN to study the swing in Malay votes was curious as it had done little to contribute to the opposition’s success.

He added that Gerakan held no parliamentary seats and had not made any significant electoral breakthrough, nor had its decision to quit BN sparked a revival or give PN the boost it needs.

He claimed that Gerakan lacked grassroots support and electoral machinery compared with Bersatu and PAS.

“If Gerakan has been largely invisible within PN, what right does it have to critique the coalition’s performance?”

Mahathir accused Lau of oversimplifying the complex issue of Malay votes, which he said could not be easily categorised.

Voting behaviour, he said, differed across regions and constituencies, influenced by local issues, candidate strength and control of state governments.

“Gerakan’s narrow focus on recent losses overlooks the fact that the Malay electorate is, and always has been, divided.”