Umno’s decision to name Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as their Prime Minister candidate if Barisan Nasional were to win and form the government after the 15th General Election (GE15) is a good decision.
It makes it easier for the voters to decide on who to vote for.
In the case of BN, the people would know if they were to vote for BN - they would get Ismail Sabri.
Or this move by BN would at least, possibly push or motivate Pakatan Harapan (PH) to also name Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their PM candidate.
If BN and PH were to publicly announce publicly who their PM candidate were, they would have helped the voters decide who they would like to cast their ballot with.
Whether is is the correct decision or not, that’s a different story. What is important is the process of how it eased the voters. That is what they want.
We all know that those from the other side still do not have any consensus on how they will face BN in GE15.
What happened the Sheraton Move episode has affected the trust and value of certain groups.
The biggest problem they face right now is if all enters the ring individually to face BN. This is answer is clear, they will all lose.
That’s certain because although BN’s vote count does not necessarily increase, the opposing parties will suffer a split in votes from those rejecting BN and based on on experience, those rejecting BN are much more than those voting for them.
This is equivalent to them giving a free win to BN or technical victory. The state elections has proven this.
This writer does not suggest that BN should be rejected but what this writer wants to stress on is the fact that if you plan to compete, provide the best possible environment to do so.
But if it’s just the sake of democracy, might as well make it into a 10-cornered fight.
"Back and Forth" is a column by Rozaid Rahman. He is Sinar Karangkraf Group Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer.