Bersama party rejects political cooperation, focuses on self-strength building

Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) is charting an independent course, prioritizing the cultivation of its own strength from the grassroots over immediate political collaborations. The party's strategy hinges on self-reliance, a move Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli believes is essential for sustainable, long-term political power.

"For us at Bersama, we indeed have a long-term focus, which is to build a progressive political movement, and we are not aiming for short-term power," Rafizi told reporters. He emphasized that for Bersama to make a significant impact and serve the people effectively, it must possess inherent strength. "This strength can only be built when we go in independently and do not rely on the strength of others," he added.

Rafizi explained that the necessity of competing independently compels a party to work harder and faster to solidify its support base. "When we are forced to build strength because we are competing alone and not relying on a coalition, we need to move faster," he stated, underscoring that "cooperation politics, political strategy, is not in Bersama's dictionary."

Regarding the Melaka state elections, Bersama has decided to contest 15 state seats. This decision was based on careful consideration of voter profiles, projected support, candidate suitability, and the party's existing machinery. Rafizi noted that while Bersama could potentially field candidates in more seats, doing so might overstretch its resources. "We could contest 18, 19, but that might stretch our resources excessively," he said, confirming that the chosen 15 seats best meet their strategic criteria.