Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) has seconded a proposal from Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) for all Opposition parties and lawmakers to consolidate and form a “grand coalition”.
Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said cooperation among the Opposition parties is necessary if they each wanted to go head to head with the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the next general election that is widely believed will happen next year.
“Amanah urges all Opposition bloc component, including Pakatan Harapan, Pejuang, Warisan, UPKO (United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation), PSB (Parti Sabah Bersatu), Muda (Malaysian United Democratic Alliance) and others to reach a consensus to form an Opposition grand coalition,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Pejuang deputy president Datuk Marzuki Yahya mooted the idea last Thursday, calling for a giant collective of all lawmakers currently in the federal Opposition.
He said this new grand coalition is needed to combat the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Bersatu president and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is being helped by his former Umno colleagues and PAS leaders.
The PN coalition, formed in March, mainly comprises Bersatu and PAS.
However, government politicians have been mulling formalising its own super coalition comprising PN, Barisan Nasional and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak which controls the south Borneo state government in GE15.
Meanwhile, Amanah said it is waiting for development on a claim by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of having a sufficient number of support among members of the Dewan Rakyat to form a new government.
Reports on Saturday cited Anwar, who is the Opposition Leader, saying he was seeking for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to present evidence that he now had 113 supporters in the form of a sworn statement (SD).
As such, Anwar claimed he had sufficient support among Dewan Rakyat members to bring down the PN government.
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said he had not received any news and was still waiting for further developments on the matter.
“I am waiting, just like everyone who is waiting,” he said yesterday.
On a related development involving the distribution of seats for the 15th General Election, Mohamad said the matter had not been discussed yet.
“On seats, we have not discussed at either the national or state level,” he said.
Earlier in his speech at the convention, Mohamed said Amanah will pay attention to 15th General Election seat allocation from early next year.
“The main focus from January next year is to get the GE machinery, ready.
“It includes for consultation of seats to be initiated at an early stage so that we can concentrate on any seats that we are given to contest, including seats that we expect to win, and that will be our focus.
“So, for us to be involved in the political game again, we need to provide a more robust election machinery to be mobilised in all divisions,” he said.
On the problems faced by Negri Sembilan Amanah, the former defence minister said such differences in any political party is quite natural and is hopeful that it would be resolved amicably.
“That is normal in a party, unrest within the party, Amanah will find the best way to discuss and find a solution.
“This process is normal, all political parties face such thing, and I am confident Amanah will emerge stronger,” he said.