Arrogant Amanah: 'Dream' for PKR to absorb us a joke

'Dream' for PKR to absorb us a joke, says Amanah leader

An Amanah division leader has dashed any plans for PKR to absorb the party through a merger, describing it as both a dream and a joke.

Amanah Bukit Bintang chief Ahmad Asri Talib in a statement cited Harapan's loss in the recent Malacca state elections and laid the blame on PKR.

"The dream for Amanah to be absorbed into PKR is a joke. How can it be possible for Amanah that is increasingly accepted by the people to be 'eaten up' by a weakening PKR.

"Amanah's leadership including (Malacca Harapan chief) Adly Zahari who won in Bukit Katil has become an icon for Harapan, recognised as the coalition's chief minister candidate if it had won the state election," said Asri.



Instead of pushing for a merger, Asri instead suggested that Harapan evolve into a grand coalition or a "big tent" approach beyond its current partners, Amanah, PKR and DAP as well as Warisan under Harapan Plus.

He said the bigger coalition could look to embrace newer parties set up after the 14th general elections, including Bersatu-splinter Pejuang and Muda.

"All Harapan parties must be rid of the 'big brother' and 'big head' attitude as it brings about no benefit, and in fact caused losses to Harapan," said Asri.

In taking swipes at PKR, Asri said Harapan's loss in Malacca was due to failure in securing support from the Malay-dominated areas, as well as resistance from younger voters.

Earlier this week, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said the party has declined suggestions for a merger with PKR.

He added there is no need to consider the proposal because the issue “never arose”.

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat previously proposed a PKR-Amanah merger following Pakatan Harapan’s defeat at the Malacca state election.

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kt comments:

PAS predecessor PMIP or the Pan-Malayan Islamic Party was formed primarily (according to Wiki) to contest in the 1955 elections, Malaya first general election just prior to Merdeka.

Previously the PMIP was a part of UMNO but became a distinct party on its own because of her members' desire to make Islam its political core, and also with a sinister aim to form a political union with Indonesia (then under Soekarno).

Initially, under the leadership of Dr Burhanuddin bin Muhammad Nur al-Hilmi, PMIP had a left leaning proclivity, supporting trade unions and anti-colonialism. Today, under Hadi Awang, it has shifted dramatically to the extreme right (and eff Indonesia but 'hero-worships' the Middle East Arabs, wakakaka).

The point I want to bring out is that PMIP (today's PAS) severed ties with UMNO because it favoured religion as its political base whilst UMNO was/is always a Malay nationalistic party.

So if we remember the above, how in the world then we consider PKR and Amanah to merge - akin to UMNO and PAS re-merging?

Thus I am not surprised that Amanah Bukit Bintang chief Ahmad Asri Talib scoffed sneeringly at that proposal. Recall what he said (above): "The dream for Amanah to be absorbed into PKR is a joke. How can it be possible for Amanah that is increasingly accepted by the people to be 'eaten up' by a weakening PKR."

Apart from the unlikelihood of the merger, Amanah has grown too overconfident of what it believes to be its superiority vis-a-vis PKR in the wake of the recent Melaka election.

And we mustn't forget that Amanah came from PAS, and has been the cause of the Timah whiskey furor, an issue instigated by Amanah in its deliberate one-upmanship 'holier-than-thou' against PAS (as we were informed by Tuan Ibrahim who commendably tried to put a stop to the stupid arguments over Timah, Fatimah and Latheefa, wakakaka).

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we may have taken Amanah out of PAS but we haven't the PAS still in Amanah. The only Amanah politician I have some respect for is Hanipa Maidin.

In short Amanah has to be taken down a peg or two to knock some humility into its now 'big head'.

The second factor I want to point out is Malaysian politicians' propensity to use vogue words or phrases, which in this case is 'big tent approach' but without realising what it means. I even doubt the eff-er above knows what it is. It's precisely the intolerance for this 'big tent' kerbau that saw PMIP breakoff from UMNO, and AMANAH from PAS. So why tok-kok about 'big tent' though it may sound 'sophisticated' to utter that phrase.