Perikatan Nasional rotting from within

All is not well within the federal opposition coalition known as Perikatan Nasional (PN).

That’s the impression that is given over the weekend when Pas declared that it would not cooperate with its coalition component party, Gerakan.

Pas and Gerakan are at odds due the difference in stance taken over the issue of alcohol beverage companies sponsoring donation drive campaigns for vernacular schools.

Perikatan Nasional is made up of Bersatu, Pas, Gerakan and MIPP.

Yesterday, Gerakan threatened to quit as Pas announced that it would not cooperate with the former in the general election

Despite being in the same coalition both Pas and Gerakan have some bad blood as Pas’ Penang chapter protested against Gerakan president Dominic Lau’s candidacy during the state polls in Penang last year.

One wonders what is the stand of Gerakan’s fellow non-Malay ally in PN. The Malaysian Indian People’s Party has been somewhat quiet.

Surely, there are aware that there are Indians studying in Chinese vernacular schools.

How long would it take for MIPP and Gerakan to quit PN?

In a related development, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Ahmad Kamal who was booted in the recently concluded Dewan Rakyat session told The Scoop that PN’s Islamic and Malay-centric image may have been offensive to non-Muslims.

“Yes, sometimes we have narratives that may offend non-Malays and non-Muslims, and I believe these issues are being addressed at the leadership level of the coalition.

“This is to ensure these narratives are not repeated, so we can attract more voters from non-Malay and non-Muslim communities. By doing this, they can get to know us better, and Insya-Allah, in the next general elections, they will support us so we can be in power back to Putrajaya.”

“The work is ongoing, and we have already started at the leadership level of PAS and Bersatu.”

What we can see here is clearly Perikatan Nasional losing its mojo to win over non-Malay votes.

With the weightage very much in favour Malay Muslim issues, it is a challenge for them to win a significant amount of vote from the non-Muslim crowd.

Viewing the recently concluded Dewan Rakyat session, one can count on one hand the number of times a MP from Bersatu or Pas ever raised issues concerning the non-Muslim crowd.

On that note, it does not mean the non-Muslim crowd is going to present their votes en bloc to ruling coalition.

The parties in the federal government would need to translate their promises into promises to maintain its non-Muslim vote bloc.