At a press conference today, the Bersatu president said he had spoken to GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg ahead of the Sarawak elections.

“We have an understanding that for the state polls we’ll support GPS, but for GE15, we will also arrive at an understanding because there are some candidates from PN and Bersatu who are currently holding parliamentary seats in Sarawak,” he said.

He added that PN had given way to GPS in the state elections, citing the example of the Kemena state seat in Bintulu, where he claimed Bersatu had 13,000 members.

“This is a state election, it’s more on forming the state government, so I agree. But a general election is to form the federal government.”

Muhyiddin noted that some Bersatu members in Sarawak had been disappointed by the party’s decision to back out of the state elections.

When asked about PAS having a candidate for the Beting Maro seat, he said he could not comment as the decision to contest in that seat was not made by PN but by the Islamist party on its own.

On the proposed amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), he acknowledged the need to impose heavier punishments for Covid-19 SOP breaches.

While maintaining that he did not want to preempt the government, he said the health ministry should consider reviewing the heftier punishment in view of those still struggling to make ends meet.