The Malaysian Insight

ONE a sworn enemy, while the other used to be staunch supporter of PAS. But both agreed last night that the Islamist party should just leave the Selangor government after deciding to end ties with PKR.

Until several weeks back, Dr Mahathir Mohamad was still hoping that PAS would come around and join Pakatan Harapan. Not any more as he laid it in to PAS last night.

“I think everyone knows that PAS is working with BN. They only want to split the opposition so that BN will win,” said Dr Mahathir, who has had his fair share of feuds with PAS during his 22-year tenure as prime minister.

The former prime minister said PAS has also become too accustomed to the state funds it received while in government to give up its seats.

But the excos should just leave the state government after cutting ties with PKR, said the 92-year-old.

Dr Mahathir said that PAS’ recent success at the polls were due to DAP.

“Because if PAS contests in the election alone they will only win one seat. But when they were with DAP they won more seats. Without DAP, they will fail,” he told reporters after his ceramah at the Gasing Indah multipurpose hall tonight.

Former PAS deputy president and now Amanah president Mohamad Sabu agreed with his counterpart.

The former ISA detainee said that he had resigned from his position in Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBA) when the Islamists cut ties with DAP in 2015.

“I resigned on ethical grounds because Penang is under DAP. But look at PAS today. They announced to everyone that they are cutting ties with PKR, but they still want to stay in the Selangor government.”

Dr Mahathir, however, said Pakatan Harapan has not sat down to determine the seats following PAS decision to contest 100 parliamentary seats in the next elections.

Meanwhile, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said the new PH government will ensure that all corrupt inviduals will be jailed.

“Everyone who is corrupt will go to jail, including Prime Minister Najib Razak,” she said.

She added that PH wants to abolish the goods and services tax (GST) when they win the next general election.

“We at PH want to reform the government so that Malaysians can live without GST,” she said.

Also there at the ceramah tonight was PKR communication director Fahmi Fadzil, Kuala Langat MP Abdullah Sani and Senator Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail.

PAS’ decision to end ties with PKR was finalised last week after their all-powerful spiritual arm, the Syura Council, ratified the decision made at the party’s annual congress in Kedah.

The recent developments in PAS did not impress local resident Abdul Samat Samsudin.

Despite the PAS setback, the 63-year-old said he was filled with hope after the ceramah.

“What happened with Dr Mahathir and Nurul Izzah is in the past. If they set aside their feud, so can I,” he said.

Another local resident, Lee, 57, said he felt that the opposition is still strong even after breaking up with PAS and that he will still support the opposition.

“I think that if Dr Mahathir and Nurul Izzah can put aside their differences and work together, anything is possible in the opposition,” he said. – May 15, 2017.