PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) “stabbed” Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the back by working with Perikatan Nasional (PN) to defeat the unity government in the Negeri Sembilan election last Saturday, says Amanah deputy president Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
In a statement, the Amanah election director said BN’s decision to divide seats with PN while remaining part of the unity government sent a confusing political message to voters.
Mujahid also said BN had used its position in the government, including the roles held by its ministers and other office holders, while campaigning against PH in the state polls.
“BN’s attitude in Negeri Sembilan is regrettable as it openly ‘stabbed’ its partner by dividing seats with PN to defeat the unity government in Negeri Sembilan, which was jointly formed before the state election,” he said.
The Negeri Sembilan election saw the BN-PN alliance win 18 and seven seats respectively, giving the coalitions a two-thirds majority to form the state government.
PH won the remaining 11 seats.
‘Triumph for racial politics’
Mujahid said the outcome of the polls showed that racial identity politics had triumphed over PH’s multiracial, values-based politics and the PH government’s performance in Negeri Sembilan, where it had governed since 2018.
Mujahid said while he respected the decision of voters, parties promoting narrow, race- and religion-based narratives could worsen mistrust between communities and threaten national stability.
“PH must recognise that its shared aspiration for unity with BN has been overtaken by the Malay-Islamic supremacy agenda championed by PN.
“For the sake of power, BN was willing to abandon the aspiration of seeing Malaysia free from racial and religious prejudice and hatred,” he said.
Adding that PH now faced an uphill journey if it remained committed to promoting values-based politics, Mujahid urged the coalition to reflect on its weaknesses ahead of the next general election.
