KUALA LUMPUR – PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil has dispelled claims of disunity among Pakatan Harapan (PH) components over the party’s decision to choose to use its own logo for the Johor election.
The Lembah Pantai MP said the decision was made during PH’s presidential council meeting two days ago.
In fact, he did not dismiss the possibility that PKR may take a similar approach in future elections, but said this will be dependent on several contributing factors.
Speaking to The Vibes, he said PKR’s decision to go with its own banner in the upcoming state polls had been agreed by the other party leaders in DAP, Amanah and PH’s newest member United Kinabalu Progressive Organisation.
It’s not a unilateral decision by one party, but done together. The statement issued (on this matter) that was jointly signed by all party leaders is reflective of the collective decision made by the presidential council.
“Think of it as a strategy specifically for the Johor election,” he said today.
He was asked if other PH members are supportive of PKR’s move to stand under its own logo, amid suggestions that there are disagreements and dissatisfactions within the coalition.
When asked if PKR will continue to use its own banner for the coming general election if this decision is proven advantageous to the party in Johor, Fahmi said this is not necessarily the case.
“We will have to look at the overall assessment. There are local factors like sentiments on the ground, and external factors beyond our control like Covid-19 and whether new voters understand their rights to vote.
“At the moment, our leaders are looking at this issue from the perspective of the Johor election, about fighting this battle now.
Discussions on the general election will come later. It’s like asking who PH’s menteri besar candidate for Johor will be. Now is not the time; we will announce it in due course.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the PH presidential council had said that it agreed for PKR to use its own logo while DAP and Amanah would vie under PH’s official banner.
PKR chief organising secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had later explained that the decision was made to appease PKR’s grassroots’ demands, a sentiment similarly shared later by Fahmi to The Vibes.
Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu issued a joint statement saying they will respect PKR’s move to use its own logo, but said their parties will maintain their positions under the PH banner to demonstrate their commitment as a coalition.
Not the first time
Fahmi said the use of separate logos among opposition parties is not unheard of, with PH components contesting under their respective banners as recent as the Sarawak election last month.
In the 2020 Sabah polls, PKR had contested under its own logo while DAP and Amanah used Warisan’s flag.
“To me, as long as the decision is made together and the announcement is made jointly by the presidential council, it is a decision that is acceptable.
If, hypothetically, Muda wants to work with PH in Johor, there won’t be two logos, but three, unless it agrees to use PH’s. We are open to this.”
Asked if the use of different logos among PH members could sow confusion among voters, Fahmi dismissed this notion, pointing to how the opposition had won several seats in the 2008 and 2013 elections despite not using a common banner.
“This is an issue of modus. But I believe that more important than this is the spirit of fighting towards the same objective, which is to form a stable, cohesive government in Johor.
“At the end of the day, I think voters will want to hear our plan of action, the ideas brought by PH and those working with us, to ensure stability.”
PH’s strategy to allow components to contest under different logos for the election is in stark contrast to its political rival Barisan Nasional (BN).
Despite suffering a shocking defeat in the 2018 general election, BN lynchpin Umno and other component parties have remained committed to contesting under the popular “dacing” (weighing scale) logo. – The Vibes, January 28, 2022
