Don’t let Umno have the last laugh, Perak Pakatan youth tell leaders

TMI

Pakatan Rakyat leaders (from right) Lim Kit Siang (DAP), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR), Mohammad Sabu (PAS) need to remember the spirit of the coalition in Perak back in 2008, say the state’s Pakatan youth leaders.

Perak Pakatan Rakyat youth leaders today made an impassioned plea to the opposition coalition not to fall into the trap set up by its political enemies by breaking up, following revelations from a leaked WhatsApp chat that there were talks among PAS leaders on the possibility of leaving the pact.

Instead, the youth leaders said Pakatan members must unite and stand strong, adding it was time to prove that they had the political will to overcome the crisis and challenges facing them.

“Don’t allow Barisan Nasional and Umno to have the last laugh,” state PAS youth leader Dr Raja Ahmad  Iskandar, Dapsy head Wong Kah Woh and Keadilan youth head Zafril Eusoff said in a joint statement.

They said that the Pakatan pact was first established in Perak in March 2008 when the three parties decided to jointly form the state government.

They said that over the past six months, Pakatan has faced numerous challenges which not only affected confidence among the voters but also among party members.

“We cannot deny that there are differences of opinion on various issues, which have raised the question whether Pakatan will remain intact to face the 14th general election.

“There are many elements out there testing our solidarity and playing up our differences,” they said.

The youth leaders added, however, that the solidarity and common struggle in Pakatan to bring political renewal in the nation was more important that any issues that have arisen.

“Let us not fall into the trap set by our political enemies.

“We call on all Pakatan members not to let Barisan Nasional and Umno have the last laugh,” they said.

They also that the 2008 constitutional crisis in Perak took the coalition to new heights in terms of cooperating with each other, resulting in the formation of the Perak Pakatan Rakyat youth wing.

“We have worked well together in the last six years and will not allow this spirit of cooperation to be destroyed by our political enemies,” the youth leaders said..

In the leaked Whatsapp chat, PAS research centre operations director Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki had speculated on the possible scenario that if PAS left Pakatan and joined forces with Umno, the new pact could still govern Selangor with a simple majority with Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim remaining as menteri besar.

In the scenario, it was also stated that should DAP, churches and non-Muslims bring up issues concerning the use of the word “Allah” and the seizure of the Bibles by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department, PAS-Umno would be able to check their complaints.