‘Desperate’ Amanah wants Idris to gain Malay support, says analyst
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and vice-president Adly Zahari are keen on roping in Idris Haron, but the move may backfire, says analyst Awang Azman Pawi.
PETALING JAYA: Amanah wants to court former Melaka chief minister Idris Haron and two other former state assemblymen as the party is “desperate” to boost its standing among Malay voters, according to a political analyst.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said that Amanah, a splinter party of PAS, was currently dependent on PKR and DAP supporters in Melaka, whereas Idris was seen to have good support among the Malay voters.
However, the party should not be too hasty in trying to recruit Idris into Pakatan Harapan, he said. “Amanah forgets that Idris’s support base hinges on Umno members. When Idris was sacked from Umno, its members would automatically stop supporting him,” Awang Azman told FMT.
“In fact, without the Barisan Nasional (BN) emblem, Idris cannot even guarantee a win in his own constituency,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: Amanah wants to court former Melaka chief minister Idris Haron and two other former state assemblymen as the party is “desperate” to boost its standing among Malay voters, according to a political analyst.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said that Amanah, a splinter party of PAS, was currently dependent on PKR and DAP supporters in Melaka, whereas Idris was seen to have good support among the Malay voters.
However, the party should not be too hasty in trying to recruit Idris into Pakatan Harapan, he said. “Amanah forgets that Idris’s support base hinges on Umno members. When Idris was sacked from Umno, its members would automatically stop supporting him,” Awang Azman told FMT.
“In fact, without the Barisan Nasional (BN) emblem, Idris cannot even guarantee a win in his own constituency,” he said.
Awang Azman Pawi.
Yesterday, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli said Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and vice-president Adly Zahari were among PH leaders who wanted to accept three of the four assemblymen whose actions against the former state government had forced an early Melaka state election.
The other assemblymen are Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) of Umno and Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) of Bersatu, while the fourth assemblyman to quit, former DAP man Norhizam Hassan Baktee, has been shut out of PH by his old party.
FMT has reached out to Mohamad and Adly for comment.
Rafizi accused the Amanah pair of being outspoken at PH meetings but quiet in public, adding that it had become commonplace for PKR to take the flak instead.
Awang Azman said this revelation showed that Amanah was “desperate for Malay votes” to the point that it was willing to sacrifice PH’s long-term fate for its own short-term gains.
“If these three were capable of betraying their old parties, there’s nothing to stop them betraying PH, because PH is just a stepping stone for them to remain in power.”
He warned that accepting the Melaka trio into PH would affect its reputation and even cause reformists in the coalition to doubt its struggle. The younger generation could also turn away in favour of other alternatives like Muda or Parti Kuasa Rakyat, he said.
Another key politician who has criticised any thought of roping in the Melaka trio is Ramkarpal Singh of DAP, who said PH cannot accept them while pushing for anti-hopping laws in its memorandum of understanding with the government.
Ditching Shafie, back to Anwar
Yesterday, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli said Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and vice-president Adly Zahari were among PH leaders who wanted to accept three of the four assemblymen whose actions against the former state government had forced an early Melaka state election.
The other assemblymen are Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) of Umno and Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) of Bersatu, while the fourth assemblyman to quit, former DAP man Norhizam Hassan Baktee, has been shut out of PH by his old party.
FMT has reached out to Mohamad and Adly for comment.
Rafizi accused the Amanah pair of being outspoken at PH meetings but quiet in public, adding that it had become commonplace for PKR to take the flak instead.
Awang Azman said this revelation showed that Amanah was “desperate for Malay votes” to the point that it was willing to sacrifice PH’s long-term fate for its own short-term gains.
“If these three were capable of betraying their old parties, there’s nothing to stop them betraying PH, because PH is just a stepping stone for them to remain in power.”
He warned that accepting the Melaka trio into PH would affect its reputation and even cause reformists in the coalition to doubt its struggle. The younger generation could also turn away in favour of other alternatives like Muda or Parti Kuasa Rakyat, he said.
Another key politician who has criticised any thought of roping in the Melaka trio is Ramkarpal Singh of DAP, who said PH cannot accept them while pushing for anti-hopping laws in its memorandum of understanding with the government.
Ditching Shafie, back to Anwar
James Chin.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said it was no longer a question of ethics now for PH, but purely about ensuring a victory in the Melaka election.
He told FMT that some people might be angry if PH accepted these “frogs”, particularly the middle to upper class, but most Malaysians would be more concerned about whether the government could deliver.
Chin also acknowledged that there might be discontent against Anwar in the coalition if he accepts the trio, especially among those who backed Warisan president Shafie Apdal to be the prime minister once.
“Now that they have realised that Shafie may not be the sort of leader they’re looking for, they have moved back to Anwar’s camp. If Anwar were to take the trio in, of course, they would be very unhappy.
“You can be unhappy with Anwar and be against him, but the problem is that there’s nobody else who can take over the leadership, so either way, you’re still stuck with Anwar,” he said.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said it was no longer a question of ethics now for PH, but purely about ensuring a victory in the Melaka election.
He told FMT that some people might be angry if PH accepted these “frogs”, particularly the middle to upper class, but most Malaysians would be more concerned about whether the government could deliver.
Chin also acknowledged that there might be discontent against Anwar in the coalition if he accepts the trio, especially among those who backed Warisan president Shafie Apdal to be the prime minister once.
“Now that they have realised that Shafie may not be the sort of leader they’re looking for, they have moved back to Anwar’s camp. If Anwar were to take the trio in, of course, they would be very unhappy.
“You can be unhappy with Anwar and be against him, but the problem is that there’s nobody else who can take over the leadership, so either way, you’re still stuck with Anwar,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment