KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke today emphasised the need for members of the federal government coalition to share the same relationship at the state level as well to ensure success and stability in Putrajaya.
Commenting on the decoupling of the federal and state governments, he said that it would be a "recipe for disaster" for the coalition members to contest against each other at the state level while working together at the federal level.
"If we work together at the federal level, it is very hard for us to fight against each other at the state level," he said during a roundtable session held by electoral watchdog Bersih titled "Deepening Democracy in Malaysia: Making Coalition Government and Hung Parliament Work."
He said Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) alliance failed as their political cooperation at the federal level was not reflected in state elections.
BN and PN contested against each other in the Johor and Melaka state elections while being part of the federal government.
“If we start thinking about whether or not (in the) next election I have to kill each other, whether or not I have to ensure that BN cannot become bigger next round, then this government would not work,” he said, adding that Putrajaya’s focus is to make the coalition government work.
“So, for the current unity government to work, we have to think about how to strengthen ourselves and how to continue to coexist by not fighting each other,” Loke added.
In the aftermath of the Sheraton move, BN, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, and PAS cooperated to form the PN federal administration to replace the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.
