The Barisan Nasional is to work out a new strategy and restructure the organisational machinery to face the new political scenario in the wake of the termination of the tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) between PAS and PKR, said BN deputy chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also Umno vice-president discharging the duties of the deputy president, acknowledged that the new political scenario would pose a challenge for the BN and Umno, especially in the next general election.

"Umno and the BN should scrutinise the political reality to determine the best method to address this issue. Surely we must restructure the Umno and BN organisational machinery in facing this new situation.

"Previously, due to the cooperation between PAS and PKR, we faced straight fights (in the general election). In this new situation, we may face three-cornered contests.

"The challenge of a three-cornered contest is different. We have to consider in the medium and long term that it is a challenge that we have to confront. Although the more the merrier, we have to work out a strategy to confront theirs (the opposition's)," he said to reporters in Putrajaya. 

The PAS syura council yesterday unanimously decided to terminate the party's political cooperation with PKR that was established at the 11th general election in 2004, citing PKR violations of the agreement between the two parties.

Earlier, the director-general of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), William Lacy Swing, called on Zahid, who is the deputy prime minister and home minister, at the Perdana Putra building.

Zahid said the termination of the PAS-PKR political cooperation indicated that PAS wanted to be a political party with its own identity and was confident of facing the next general election on its own.

Asked about the message of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is BN chairperson and Umno president, in conjunction with the 71st anniversary of Umno yesterday, Zahid said it reflected the sincerity of Umno, the principal partner in the BN, to meet the needs and preferences of all the people.

- Bernama