PAKATAN Harapan (PH) must not obsess over the “big tent” approach for the general election and should instead ensure that the tent is stable, whatever its size, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said.  

Newly appointed to the helm, the 44-year-old Loke said the focus should be on strengthening relationships between component members PKR, DAP and Amanah so that they can be a single formidable force.

“It doesn’t really bother me whether it is a big tent or a small tent. Most important is that we have a stable tent – a tent that can shield us; a tent that can stay on the ground and not be blown away by strong winds,” Loke told The Malaysian Insight.

Rather than debate whether or not PH needs a big tent approach, the Seremban MP said he preferred a more pragmatic approach.

The “big tent” concept, broached by some quarters in PH, refers to collaborating with other opposition parties outside the PH fold.

Other opposition parties include Sabah-based Warisan, youth-based Muda and Pejuang.

Warisan was a PH ally when the coalition was elected to federal power in 2018, but the Sabah party’s recent decisions have thrown the alliance into doubt.

Warisan has been accused of pinching DAP members with its expansion to the peninsula, and it also contested against PH candidates in several seats in the Johor elections. Its president Mohd Shafie Apdal said recently the party was keeping its options open and did not rule out collaborating with the ruling parties.

Pejuang, founded by former PH chairman and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ran against PH in 42 seats in the Johor elections and did not support PH’s reform deal with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government.

Muda did not ink the agreement either. In the Johor polls, it collaborated with PH in six seats but competed against PKR for one.

Former PKR MP and strategist Rafizi Ramli recently said PH must forget about the big tent approach and go solo.

Rafizi, who recently announced that he will contest for the PKR deputy president post, said there was no need for the party to join hands with Pejuang, Warisan or even Muda for GE15. He said data on recent state elections showed these collaborations did not earn PH more votes.

While Muda appears the most cooperative with PH, Loke admitted there were uncertainties as Muda had formalised an alliance with Warisan.

Loke said it was up to Muda to decide on its allies.

“Muda is an independent party and I’m sure they know what is best for their own party.

“We have shown our sincerity in working together with them in Johor and we have even campaigned for them in the seats they contested.

“So, I think Muda can draw their own conclusion as to what kind of relationship they want to have with PH,” the former transport minister said.

Although Muda won only one (Puteri Wangsa) of the seven seats it contested, Loke said that it was a good starting point for the newly registered party led by former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Muda clashed with PKR in Larkin, but Loke said such situations could be avoided in the future if consensus is reached at the negotiation table. PKR and Muda had failed to come to an agreement on the Larkin seat.

Like said negotiations were key heading into the next general election.

“Moving forward, if we can come to the negotiation table and everyone takes a step back (to look at the larger picture), I think we can work things out.” – April 6, 2022.