KUALA LUMPUR – The results of yesterday’s state elections, which saw coalitions maintaining their hold on their respective state assemblies, has diminished the possibility of the federal unity government’s fall, said DAP deputy secretary-general Liew Chin Tong.
The victory secured by PH-BN in three states, coupled with rival Perikatan Nasional (PN) successfully retaining control of three other states, should effectively quell any discussions of a potential coup.
“PN’s narrative up until the state elections was that if PH (Pakatan Harapan) had lost Selangor, the collapse of the federal unity government would soon follow. (Thus), PN’s failure to win Selangor from the unity government means no more coup to topple (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim).
“A 3-3 verdict last night, which was predicted by most pollsters, has put an end to any talks of a mid-way change of government to replicate the Sheraton coup,” the former deputy defence ministry said in a Facebook post today.
The state elections saw PH retaining its hold on Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan, while PN obtained landslide wins in Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.
Liew added that PN’s persistent “posturing” about an impending shift in the federal government is unlikely to garner significant attention anymore, except for appeasing their staunch supporters and keeping them “in ecstacy”.
“PN will have to accept the reality that they did not win the 15th general elections and thus have to serve the remaining term by presenting itself as an effective opposition, which it doesn’t seem to be capable of,” he said.
In a press conference after the election results announcement late last night, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin called on PH chairman Anwar and Barisan Nasional (BN) leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also a deputy prime minister, to resign from their top posts.
Muhyiddin claimed that the state elections’ results are a “referendum” of the people’s rejection of the PH-BN alliance.
Meanwhile, Liew also said that while it will require “a lot of cohesiveness and determination” for Bersatu to persevere into the next general elections, the party’s supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s future appears to be bleak – despite securing the Hulu Kelang seat.
“I am not writing off Bersatu just yet, but the writing is on the wall for (Azmin). While he won the Hulu Kelang seat, he seems to have no political future,” he said.
“Outside his own party, he is constrained by the multi-ethnic character of Selangor and his own inability to operate without government resources and powers.
“Within Bersatu, he is already being marginalised by (party secretary-general) Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin,” Liew asserted.
In a notable upset for PH, Azmin wrested victory from his former protégé Juwairiya Zulkifly, by securing a majority of 1,617 votes with a total of 25,597 votes, while Juwairiya came up short with 23,980 votes. – August 13, 2023