00:00ABNO appears to be walking a political tightrope, allowing its leaders to bash DAP while remaining
00:06in the unity government in a bid to shore up Malay support, an analyst says.
00:12University Science Malaysia's Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said the party's offensive against
00:16its ally was a calculated move to reassure Malay voters that ABNO remains committed
00:21to defending their rights and interests.
00:24The strategy, he said, aims to prevent further erosion of grassroots support that sharply
00:29declined in the 2022 general election, especially with GE16 approaching.
00:34He added that while ABNO initially tried to mitigate anti-DAP sentiments after GE15, it
00:40has closed off that route to instead go along with the anti-DAP message.
00:45Meanwhile, Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, associate vice president at consultancy The Asia Group,
00:51described ABNO's move as a pragmatic repositioning rather than an outright strategic shift.
00:57He said the recent clarification that a BNPH alliance for GE16 has yet to be confirmed
01:03was meant to address growing unease among UMNO grassroots over cooperation with PH, particularly
01:09DAP.
01:11At the same time, he said UMNO's willingness to help form the Sabah state government underscores
01:16its pragmatism in maintaining political relevance, backing Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Chairman Haji
01:21and Gigi Noor in November, despite being rivals in the 17th state election.
