The Malaysian Insight

AHMAD Faizal Azumu has been asked to explain his controversial remarks on the Tg Piai campaign trail at the Bersatu supreme council meeting tomorrow, said Marzuki Yahya.

The party secretary-general said the Perak menteri besar’s explanation should help to ease tensions with its pact member, DAP.

Marzuki said he was confident Faizal had never intended to attack DAP with his remarks.

“The supreme council is meeting on Monday and we will ask him to explain his remarks on DAP.

“I feel what he said was about his own experience but it should not lead to a fight with DAP,” he said during a media conference at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang today.

Faizal has angered DAP after a video clip, in which he is seen telling his Malay supporters that he alone was battling DAP to defend Malays and Islam, went viral.

“In Perak, I am fighting a desperate battle alone against ‘puak-puak’ (factions of) DAP.

“I want to defend the land of the Malays. I want to champion our religion.”

In the clip, which appears to have been captured on the Tg Piai campaign trail, Faizal claimed to have shunned his PH colleagues on nomination day in Pontian.

“I sat with the Umno gang… I am fed up with the ministers; they also fight.”

PH’s candidate for Tg Piai, Karmaine Sardini, was also seen in the video.

Perak DAP secretary Wong Kah Woh had earlier urged Faizal to apologise for his statements portraying the party as an enemy of Islam and the Malays.

Wong said Faizal’s behaviour in the video failed to demonstrate the integrity becoming of a leader, especially a PH leader.

“I must stress that the unity spirit of PH must be supported at all times and that the Perak menteri besar, as chairman of Perak PH, should lead by example instead of doing the opposite.”

Faizal has defended himself and said his remarks were taken out of context and did not reflect what he said.

Marzuki said he did not think Faizal’s remarks would have an effect to the point of jeopardising its campaign to retain Tg Piai.

“Before this, there were remarks against us from our PH pact members like Ronnie Liu. We can manage all this and it can be done through our leaders at the state and division (levels),” he said.

Sg Pelik assemblyman Liu created a stir with his recent opinion piece, in which he criticised Dr Mahathir and warned Bersatu against making decisions not aligned with PH values.

If the pact broke up over the prime minister’s actions, Bersatu, of which Dr Mahathir is chairman, stands to lose the most, he said, adding that other PH components could face snap elections without the party.

The remarks angered those in Bersatu, with Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik and Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman hitting out at the DAP man. – November 10, 2019.