KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said that his coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) should form a unity government without Pakatan Harapan (PH) following the uncertain outcome of the 15th general election (GE15).
In a statement late last night, he said that he supports Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister because PN had won the second-highest number of Dewan Rakyat seats after PH.
“The issue should be a collective responsibility for Dewan Rakyat members from BN, PN, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), GPS, GRS, Independents and others,” he said.
The main reason for his rejection of PH lies in in its poor administration of the country during the 22 months that it was the federal government, he added.
He said the framework for his reasoning comes from his principle of ensuring that both people and country remain stable and prosperous, which he believes makes PN the right coalition partner for the job.
“Anyhow, the wellbeing of the people and the prosperity of the country must be continued with the leadership of a government that is stable and experienced,” he said.
Yesterday, BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned BN members not to hold unsanctioned negotiations with GPS to form the next federal government with PN.
However, BN members, including MCA, several Umno bigwigs and an MIC leader, have called on Zahid to resign from his position as BN chairman and Umno president after leading the party into its worst electoral defeat ever.
But sources within Umno supreme council have seemingly confirmed that there are ongoing talks with both PH and PN.
Before that, GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said that his party had agreed to form a coalition federal government with PN, BN and GRS in the interest of the country’s political stability.
BN, which had pushed for national polls to be held this year ahead of the GE14 expiry next year, only garnered 30 seats in GE15.
