KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) is keeping its options open when it comes to possible future alliances with other coalitions, including Barisan Nasional (BN)
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, however, chose not to refer to this idea as another "Muafakat Nasional" and said, for this alliance to take shape, leaders of coalitions wanting to join forces must first agree to it.
"This alliance is a policy that should be accepted by leaders of all parties — (Parti Pribumi) Bersatu (Malaysia), Pas and Umno.
"If they believe in having one goal, there is nothing wrong with having this alliance.
"If one says 'no', it will not happen, but if we believe in each other, we can achieve our goals," he said adding that the basis of this alliance would still be pursing the interest of all races.
Asked on PN coming back to power through new alliances, Hamzah said, "the door is always open".
Hamzah was the invited speaker at yesterday's edition of the Concorde Club talk series.
The Concorde Club is a forum on current issues by selected speakers initiated by veteran journalists including Star Media Group's group editorial and corporate affairs adviser Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai. Also present was New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Karim
Hamzah, who was once an Umno supreme council member, was reluctant to reply when asked about the future of the party he left in December 2018 after its defeat in the recently concluded 15th General Election .
However, when pressed, he said: "Umno needs to a have a massive rejuvenation exercise or risk being wholly rejected. Umno needs new alliances for the party to reinvent itself."
On the impending polls for several states due by June, the Bersatu secretary-general is confident that Selangor, which is now led by Pakatan Harapan, would be wrested by PN.
He also gave the Bersatu-Pas-Gerakan coalition a 50-50 chance of wresting Negri Sembilan from PH.
PN is expected to keep Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu based on a near clean sweep of parliamentary seats in GE15.
However, Hamzah said the coalition is not counting on winning in Penang as it acknowledges DAP's strength in the state.