The Deputy Chairman of BN who is also the Deputy President of UMNO reportedly said it is now easier for BN to explain its electoral cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN) to voters compared to its previous alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
If it was so difficult, why did BN / UMNO agreed and accepts the request by the previous YDP Agong, the Sultan of Pahang and formed the unity government with PH in Nov 2022?
BN / UMNO can follow the same path of PN and rejects the request by the previous YDP Agong, the Sultan of Pahang.
BN / UMNO can then opt to form a government with PN after the Nov 2022 15th GE.
Or they can just remain on their own without forming any coalition with anyone.
Why didn’t they?
Answer is clear and obvious.
BN/UMNO cannot afford to be out of the government.
Look at how they schemed and connived with Bersatu and PAS to oust a duly elected government in Feb 2020 and installed themselves the government, an unelected government
For BN/UMNO, the game to get back to the top never stops.
They schemed with Bersatu and PAS to oust the duly elected government of PH in 2020.
Not happy with playing 2nd fiddle to Bersatu and PM8, again they schemed to oust PM8 as the PM after 17 months of collaboration.
After BN / UMNO withdrew support for the 8th PM, who was then, helming PN in Aug 2021, PM8 who is also the President of Bersatu, a founding member of PN, it was obvious that Bersatu and by virtue that the President of Bersatu is also the President of PN would not want to enter into another cooperation with BN / UMNO in Nov 2022.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Aug 2021 is permanently etched in the mind of PM8, the day where his political partner in the government helmed by him pulled out their support for him resulting in him losing his majority support in parliament.
How can anyone forget this? Moreso for many members of Bersatu.
BN / UMNO knew that if they don’t agree to collaborating with PH after the 15th GE, they will have to stay in the Opposition for the next 5 years unless they could `engineer’ another move like the Sheraton move in between.
With 29 seats, they will be playing 3rd fiddle to PAS and Bersatu in the Opposition.
So, BN/UMNO agree to collaborate with PH as they know that by siding with PH, they can wrangle greater concession from them even with the meagre 29 seats they have.
And at that point post the results of the 15th GE, no other political party or coalition, be it from Sarawak and Sabah nor from Semenanjung responded or hinted that they will collaborate with PH to form a government.
And it is obvious to everyone that it is the lifelong ambition of the leader of PH to be the PM in this country and he will do whatever it needs or takes to be the PM.
Unfortunately for him, PH did not obtain the simple majority that would allow him to achieve his lifelong ambition.
BN/UMNO knew they are the lifeline for the leader of PH to be appointed as the PM of this country.
And PH `gladly’ offered and accepted terms set by BN/UMNO and collaborated.
Is BN/UMNO ungrateful to PH?
PH supporters would say yes because if not for PH agreeing to collaborate, BN / UMNO would be in the wilderness looking in from outside.
BN / UMNO supporters would have argued that if not for their collaboration, PH would not have helmed the Madani government.
Both sides have their own merit.
The needs for both sides were met with the collaboration.
The time is up now for the collaboration to end.
In fact, it ended the day when BN / UMNO announced that they will be contesting the Johor elections on their own and dissolved the state assembly without even consulting PH, who is their partner at Federal level.
PH’s annihilation by BN/UMNO in the Johor elections cemented BN / UMNO’s beliefs that they no longer need to collaborate with other political parties or coalitions to rule.
BN / UMNO probably will stop all pretensions that their collaboration at the Federal level will continue until the end of the term after Negeri Sembilan.
Probably days after the elections in Negeri Sembilan, it will be the icing on the cake for BN / UMNO to announce their withdrawal from the collaboration.
And for PH to roll out the customary responses of `we take note of the voters’s preferences and we will work harder from now until the next GE to win back their support for PH’.
Or for optics, BN / UMNO wish that they be asked to leave the Madani government instead of them withdrawing?
The President and Deputy President of UMNO already stated it clearly that the perogative is with PMX on whom he wants to sack or remove and if he decides to sack BN /UMNO from the Madani government, they are more than willing to resign.
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