KUALA LUMPUR – The responsibility should not fall on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s shoulders alone for Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) recent defeat in Melaka, with PKR grassroots believing DAP should shoulder the blame as well.
This is according to Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, who said many within the party see its PH ally as among the reasons for the coalition’s humbling loss last month.
Farhash, who is Anwar’s political secretary, said it is unfair for certain quarters in PH to pin the defeat only on a single individual, namely Anwar.
“Many are saying the reason we lost is partly because of the total Malay rejection of DAP,” he told The Vibes today.
So, it is not fair to just say we lost because of Anwar. Most of PKR are saying we lost because of DAP. It depends which end of the spectrum you are talking to.”
Farhash’s statement comes in light of pressure from certain individuals within DAP urging Anwar to step down from leading PH moving forward.
On November 22, Pahang DAP secretary Lee Chin Chen had urged PH to find a successor and not rely solely on Anwar, citing the latter’s failure in leading the opposition bloc during the Melaka election.
DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke later openly said the coalition should stop with its fixation to have Anwar be its sole prime minister candidate.
In response, PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, in an open letter to party members on Wednesday, said they should be prepared for the possibility of going at it alone in the next general election.
He said Anwar is being treated without respect by his own allies in PH, adding that PKR will not beg to have its president be the prime minister’s candidate nor for the coalition to use the party’s logo.
Farhash said in politics, there are bound to be differences in opinion, and acknowledged the existence of friction between grassroots in the coalition.
For example in PKR, most of us are in politics and in the party because of Anwar. So, when there are voices asking him to step down, of course, the natural reaction is to say we don’t need you and we can move alone.”
Asked if he is concerned that the friction among grassroots members over the Melaka polls could affect relationships within the higher hierarchy of PH, Farhash said he is convinced the issue has already subsided over the past couple of weeks.
On November 20, PH suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Barisan Nasional (BN) in Melaka, winning only five of the 28 seats on offer, with BN capturing 21 and Perikatan Nasional two.
PKR did not win any seats, while DAP won four and Amanah one.
On PKR being given largely “unwinnable seats” in the upcoming Sarawak polls, Farhash said much of the decision was made based on arrangements in past elections.
However, he said the sentiment by DAP that certain seats belonged to it as it has a large number of Chinese voters is flawed, as PKR is also a party that represents the voices of the non-Malays.
DAP is taking the approach of going for urban seats with high representation of Chinese. It is adamant that it is the only party championing Chinese issues, but forgetting PKR is also a multiracial party.”
Yesterday, Anwar said PKR was given the impossible task of contesting in unwinnable seats in Sarawak by its own allies, with more competitive constituencies being taken by others in PH.
“The seats with no base, no hope for these parties, they left it (to us), and say ‘PKR better contest because otherwise, you will allow Gabungan Parti Sarawak to win uncontested,” he had said. – The Vibes, December 5, 2021
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