Fahmi: PH and BN may clash in GE16, then govern together again

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) may end up contesting against each other in the 16th General Election (GE16), but a return to governing together is not out of the question if voters once again deliver no clear majority.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the scenario could repeat itself in the event of another hung Parliament like the one after GE15, with the final outcome resting on the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"It's not impossible, because as I see it, in my reading, if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong so decrees, then to avoid instability we would have to set aside our differences and form a government for the sake of the country's stability, progress and security," he said.

Fahmi, who is also PH communications director, was speaking as a guest on The Tiger Show podcast, hosted by journalist Amin Iskandar.

The remark reflects Fahmi's own reading of the possibilities, not an official decision by PH or BN.

The remarks touch on a distinction often blurred in current political debate. An electoral pact is sealed before polling, usually through seat-sharing so that partners do not contest against each other, and voters know which alliance they are backing when they cast their ballots.

A governing coalition, by contrast, can be negotiated after the votes are counted, including between parties that fought each other at the ballot box. The Unity Government formed after GE15 in November 2022 came about through this second route.

Melaka: limited pact or solo

On the upcoming Melaka state election, Fahmi did not rule out PH working with BN, which holds 21 seats in the state assembly, through a limited or conditional political understanding.

"That is one option... the second is totally go solo," he said.

He also touched on seat allocation under any conditional arrangement, and the possibility that candidates from both coalitions could still face off in some constituencies.

Political dynamics now vary from state to state, Fahmi said, and a formula that works in one state may not suit another.

"What happens in one state is not necessarily suitable or going to happen in another... what we may see in the series of state elections will not necessarily turn out as expected in the general election," he said.

He pointed to PH's heavy defeat in the 2021 Melaka state election, followed by its capture of three of the state's parliamentary seats in GE15, when BN won none of Melaka's parliamentary seats.

"Voters these days are complicated, their thinking is complex," he said.

A 'new order' and a red line

Fahmi described the country's political landscape as being in a transitional phase following the end of roughly six decades of UMNO and BN dominance.

"The old order is gone, but the new one has not fully formed. So what we are seeing now is that, state by state, there is a new order trying to take shape," he said.

Cooperation between parties today, he said, does not necessarily mean any party must lose its own identity.

There are limits, however, to setting differences aside. PH, he said, will not compromise on the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and loyalty to King and country.

"For PH, we want reform, we want islah. We will not sacrifice the Rukun Negara. That is our principle, that is the real red line," he said.

Cabinet to see out its term

Fahmi also expressed confidence that Cabinet members would remain professional and continue serving until the end of the administration's term, despite political controversies including the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"Alhamdulillah, we see commitment from all component parties (to ensure stability), regardless of what is said at assemblies and so on... this matters for attracting investment, because investors look at two main things, political stability and policy," he said.

"So I believe party leaders are willing to set aside any differences for the sake of the country," he added.

His remarks come as relations within the Unity Government are under strain. DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke announced on Sept 19 his intention to step down as transport minister in response to the Najib pardon decision, while Penang PH has reportedly sought to review its cooperation with UMNO in the state.

On Sept 18, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, consented to a conditional pardon allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.