PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) will not make any attempt to form a “back-door” government, but instead will play the role of an effective opposition, Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin said.

The PN secretary-general said its lawmakers will ensure there are proper checks and balances on the government led by Anwar Ibrahim.

He also rubbished the notion that there would be a move to overthrow the government in similar fashion to the one that brought down the Pakatan Harapan administration in February 2020.

“I do not want to simply go against (the government), because I have been in the government before for quite a number of years,” the Bersatu leader said, as quoted by The Vibes.

“I should understand how the government works. When it comes to policy, as long as the policy is good for the people of this country, we should give our support.

“If I feel that the policy is not being managed properly, I think I should voice out for the sake of the people. That should be the way we position ourselves as the opposition.”

Hamzah said this during a private gathering organised by the Concorde Club, an informal media group of local and foreign editors, which meets regularly with political leaders and key policymakers.

He also refused to comment on Anwar’s performance so far as the prime minister, saying that it would be unfair to comment as the PKR president has only been in power for less than two months.

“Allow him to do (his work as the prime minister). He used to be a good deputy prime minister, a good finance minister (in the 1990s). That was then,” he said.

“Now, it’s a different world. The world is facing a bigger economic problem… don’t disturb him on political issues.

“Just allow him to sit down and work on economic matters, stabilise the economy. People will be very happy and he can last even longer.

“But if he cannot do that, it will create political instability in the country.”

He also said the PN’s shadow cabinet will be in the form of “clusters”, which will be announced soon. – January 4, 2023.