KUALA LUMPUR – An informal group of Pakatan Harapan supporters have called on the coalition to reject nominations of former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and three other reps for the upcoming state election.
The group, which calls itself Kerajaan Gagal Kembali (Return of the Failed Government), said that it rejects any cooperation with the four assemblymen who had withdrawn support for the chief minister and triggered the political crisis while the state is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group, led by social media influencer Zack Rockstar, submitted a memorandum to the PH leadership at the PKR headquarters in Merchant Square, Petaling Jaya, this afternoon.
The memorandum was sent just as PH leaders, including its presidential council comprising PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Ng, arrived at the headquarters to hold a meeting on the state election.
In the memorandum, the group labelled the four politicians as “traitors” and accused them of burdening the people of Melaka who are still reeling from the economic hardships caused by lockdowns and the emergency declaration.
“The four assemblymen had betrayed the people’s mandate during GE14, which led to the fall of the Melaka government led by chief minister Adly Zahari,” the group said.
“The four assemblymen had also made a second betrayal after they withdrew support for the (latest) chief minister, (Datuk Seri) Sulaiman Mohd Ali, and they have also betrayed their own parties. What guarantees are there that they won’t commit treachery for a third time?”
The group said the memorandum follows a discussion held over the ClubHouse chatroom app yesterday, which saw the participation of people from various backgrounds sharing their thoughts on the developments in Melaka.
It also claimed that recordings of telephone conversations involving the four politicians showed elements of money politics involving millions of ringgit and the struggle for posts.
It said PH’s image would be tainted if the assemblymen were to contest under its flag in the state election.
“If Pakatan Harapan accepts them, this will set a precedent for the future and PH will be seen as having little value and not upholding its principles.
“Pakatan Harapan’s top leadership must be strict when facing the traitors and the leadership must be more alert and sensitive towards the voices of the people.”
Earlier, Anwar had said that the four assemblymen were invited to a PH event on Monday night to show gratitude for bringing change in Melaka.
Anwar said that the quartet’s presence at the event held at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) does not, however, men they will contest under the PH banner in next month’s state polls.
“Many have asked why we invited them to the event. We only invited them because they stepped up to bring change in Melaka and at that time, the Melaka PH division was supporting them.
“So, we thought it appropriate to say thank you. But the state election is another matter entirely,” Anwar said after attending a Maulidur Rasul celebration in Port Dickson.
Besides Idris, it was reported that former Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee, Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) were also present at the event.
The PH chairman acknowledged that DAP had opposed Norhizam as a PH candidate, saying the issue will be discussed in a meeting this evening.
“It’s alright, we will discuss this matter this evening,” he said.
Although there are reports of a PH presidential council meeting this evening, Anwar’s press secretary Tunku Nashrul Tunku Abaidah said that it will just be a political bureau meeting.
With the state polls slated for November 20, Anwar also expressed concern over possible Covid-19 outbreaks among schoolchildren who have not been inoculated.
On Monday, the Election Commission (EC) set November 20 as polling day and November 8 for nomination, giving parties 12 days to campaign.
EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh had said early voters can cast their ballots on November 16. – The Vibes, October 20, 2021
