MUDA cannot go into the next general election alone because it needs the support of a large coalition to reach the people, party’s secretary-general Amira Aisya Abd Aziz said.

According to Amira, Muda does not have the infrastructure or funds of other established parties.

She also said they need strategic partners to contest in the election to avoid clashes in seats.

Amira said Muda can contest on its own, but to what purpose?

“For example, if we win 10 seats, we still can’t form a government,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

“When we enter an election, we need to enter with a mindset of wanting to form a government and that’s why we have to negotiate with partners who have the same values and carry the same principles we do.

“Those partners are the parties in Pakatan Harapan (PH). That is why we are working with them.”

Amira said in any negotiation (for seats) they believe that each party should get an equal allocation.

“All of us – DAP, PKR and Amanah – all negotiate together. We have to be mature in politics to understand the democratic process that everyone has an equal right to participate.

“Of course, we understand there was a fallout between PKR and Muda in the recent Johor elections, so we need to move on from it.”

During the Johor polls on March 12, Muda clashed with PKR in a six-horse race for the Larkin seat. Barisan Nasional’s Mohd Hairi Md Shah eventually won the seat.

On February 24, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said they had negotiated with PKR until the last minute, but he did not say why Muda decided to field a candidate.

Amira was the only Muda candidate who won in the Johor elections, fending off five other candidates to take Puteri Wangsa by an impressive majority of 7,114 votes over her closest rival, from BN.

However, the ruling coalition still won the state polls and formed the state government, winning 40 out of 56 seats.

Muda had a pact with PH and PKR, and combined, they took 13 seats. Perikatan Nasional won a further three seats.

Focus on GE15 priority

Amira said Muda now needs to focus their energy and manpower on the next election.

“During the Johor elections, there was not only split in votes in PH but also in BN,” she said.

“Even if there were no split votes between PH and Muda, we still wouldn’t have won, so, there is a lot more work that needs to be done.

“There must be two-way communication. The clash with PKR was very unfortunate.”

Amira said that PH needs to come together, not only to contest but to win the elections. – March 23, 2022.