PETALING JAYA: Bersatu is currently stagnant as its top leaders are still in a “honeymoon” mood, says a Perak grassroots leader.
Speaking anonymously, the Perak leader said although Perikatan Nasional’s approval ratings increased dramatically after the 2022 general election and six state elections, “Bersatu remains stagnant compared with PAS in terms of membership, activities and programmes, and strengthening its grassroots”.
“In other words, the party did not take full advantage of its situation, while PAS has moved very quickly,” he said.
However, he did not view PAS as a threat, as it had only been doing what was necessary for its own growth.
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His comments follow Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement last month that the party’s main focus in the next three to four years is strengthening its popularity among Malay voters.
Muhyiddin said the party wants to consolidate the strong Malay support it received in last year’s six state elections, claiming that Malay votes for Bersatu and PN increased by 70% to 80% at the polls.
Another grassroots leader from Selangor said the party’s grassroots members do not have a good understanding of politics and party structure, even though the party has many leaders experienced in governance.
“Many are first-timers or amateurs. Their understanding of party ethics and organisation management is still very poor,” the Selangor leader said.
He said the party’s leaders should be working hard to build ties, as they do not seem to be in touch with the grassroots. “If the leaders remain ‘honeymooning’, the grassroots will be left behind even more. The leaders must work to get more members and build Malay support. They cannot relax too much,” he said.
He also said it was a waste of time for the leadership to argue with each other, as the Bersatu retreat last week had addressed most of the issues they face.
“Maybe one or two issues still need attention, for instance, the way forward for the party’s leadership structure and who will be going for which post,” he said.
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