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SEREMBAN – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) hopes to attract more non-Malay voters to support the party in the Negeri Sembilan state election on Aug 1.
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there was previously a perception among non-Malay voters who were anxious about supporting Bersatu due to its cooperation with Pas in Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"Previously, there was an issue because we understand that many non-Malays were fearful of Pas' ways.
"That is why when we initially formed PN, we (Bersatu) were at the forefront with Pas behind us, which allowed us to form the government and secure quite substantial support, including in the recent 15th General Election (GE15)," he told reporters after launching the machinery and announcing Bersatu candidates for the Negeri Sembilan state election here on Friday.
Therefore, he said, for the non-Malay community that has been hesitant to accept Pas' political approach, this is the right time for them to support Bersatu.
Meanwhile, when asked about the 'poster boy' candidate and the manifesto, Muhyiddin said the party would first study the public's feedback before deciding on the next step.
"We want to see the response from social media and the public's reception over these two weeks.
"If it is highly encouraging, we will sit down to discuss our strategy and next steps.
"If necessary, we will present a manifesto and look at which figures can be highlighted as potential future leaders," he said.
Speaking during the event, he said the current election marks a historic moment for the party because, after nearly 10 years since its inception, this is the first time they are contesting using their own logo.
He explained that this situation proves the party has reached a proud level of maturity, now boasting nearly 700,000 members nationwide.
"This is an achievement that I did not quite expect because Bersatu is already recognized as one of the highly influential political parties in the country.
"Alhamdulillah, we already have nearly 700,000 members, close to over 4,000 branches and more than 180 divisions across the country," he said.
