KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia does not require a grand coalition as such a move is nothing more than a survival strategy to glean strength and support for the largest political party.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) must instead build on their respective political strengths through the people's mandate obtained via a general election.
"Malaysia needs a strong government with a real mandate without delay. Something that does not lead to such an objective is doubtful and unnecessary.
"The Grand Coalition involving PN, BN and GPS, as proposed by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) secretary-general, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, must have a clear purpose and goal in the end," Khalid said in a Facebook posting, today.
He said before this, the PN government was established with the cooperation of Members of Parliament, even though it was not a reflection of the government elected by the people.
"The move failed to create the expected political stability. What is the guarantee that this 'coalition of coalitions' would produce the political stability that Malaysia needs?
"In a democratic practice, the real strength of the government must come from the grassroots and the people, and that must be obtained through a general election.
"In a developed democracy, the establishment of political cooperation only takes place if the largest party does not possess enough seats to govern the country effectively, which is the usual process after an election," he said.
Therefore, he said, Bersatu must stop being nostalgic with the stale story as to how it sacrificed to save the country.
"Such rhetoric has clearly been… an easy way to 'save' the respective parties in order for them to remain in power," Khalid added.
Hamzah on Friday had mooted a formal charter involving PN, BN and GPS, to jointly contest the next general election.
Highlighting the benefit of their informal cooperation since taking over the federal government from Pakatan Harapan (PH) in March, Hamzah, who is the Home Minister, said his proposal would ensure the continuity of this.
Hamzah added that such a charter would build up Malaysians' trust and confidence in the stability and ability of the partnering coalitions to govern and develop the country.