Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has accused PAS of attempting to lure BN component parties, MCA and MIC, with vague offers lacking substantial benefits.
His remarks, made on Monday during a press conference following the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development’s monthly assembly, responded to PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s recent invitation for MCA and MIC to join the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Zahid dismissed Tuan Ibrahim’s statement as a personal opinion devoid of concrete commitments. “I am aware of efforts to entice our friends within BN’s component parties with offers that do not necessarily promise meaningful gains,” he told reporters.
Tuan Ibrahim’s comments, published in a local newspaper, cited dissatisfaction among BN component parties over their exclusion from government representation in the Unity Government formed in late 2022. MCA and MIC, alongside UMNO, were founding members of the Alliance coalition in 1955, which evolved into BN in 1974.
Tensions within BN have intensified recently, particularly due to MCA leaders’ unease over UMNO’s growing rapport with DAP, which some argue conflicts with MCA’s core principles. The UMNO-DAP alliance has faced scrutiny since the Unity Government’s formation.
The situation escalated when MIC Kedah passed a resolution supporting cooperation with PN, hinting at a potential split from BN. However, MIC Kedah clarified that any decision lies with the party’s central leadership. Zahid, also Deputy Prime Minister, noted that MIC’s central leadership has not discussed the matter with him. “That resolution came from one or two divisions, and the top leadership has not even raised it with me, let alone brought it to the BN Supreme Council,” he said.
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