Khaliq Mehtab aims for Bersatu Supreme Council seat; urges smart, dynamic leadership

SHAH ALAM – Former Bertam Assemblyman Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq is among 80 candidates vying for one of the 20 coveted seats on the Supreme Council of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the upcoming election next week.

He told Sinar Daily that he hopes his extensive experience, both as a politician and a civil and criminal litigation lawyer for 24 years, would help secure the post.

In addition to winning the Bertam state seat in the 2018 General Election, Khaliq also served as the former Kepala Batas Division Acting Head and Penang Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director in 2022.

“To be a leader and govern an organisation, especially a political party, you must have the right mindset, knowledge, and experience, or it will fall into disarray. This applies to all kinds of organisations, whether political parties, corporations, or companies—you need the right people, mindset, knowledge, and drive to lead,” he said.

Khaliq emphasised that Bersatu members should focus on selecting the right individuals for leadership roles during the upcoming election, as this would set the stage for the party in the next general election.

“Hopefully, with the new line-up, we can have more vibrant, strong leadership. The right leadership will make the party more capable of driving itself forward and attracting more supporters,” he said.

Khaliq acknowledged that one of the challenges for Bersatu was to attract new supporters while maintaining the image of being "a Malay-centric party that does not neglect non-Malay rights."

“We champion everyone’s rights and privileges,” he said, adding that if he were to win the council post, he would advocate for the inclusion of the non-Malay wing, Bersukutu, to have a seat in the Supreme Council.

Khaliq also stressed the importance of a strong and substantive Opposition voice, something Malaysia currently lacked.

He urged Bersatu to position itself as a “progressive and dynamic” party that listens to the people's concerns and offers solutions.

“This can only be achieved by electing ‘smart’ individuals who are capable of thinking critically for the party,” he said.

While differences of opinion were inevitable, Khaliq said that the party’s core objectives and mindset should remain aligned: to become a strong political entity and, eventually, lead the country once again.

“Our principles remain the same while we address internal challenges from the top down. If I win, I hope to bring positive changes for the betterment of the party. Being elected means that people trust in your ability to effect change,” he said.

The Bersatu election will take place on Nov 2. Among leaders that have won uncontested includes Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who has retained his Bersatu president post, outgoing secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin will fill the position of deputy president, and Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi for Srikandi chief and deputy chief, respectively.