Ronnie Liu: Warisan-Muda tie-up could give Harapan 'big headache'
Martin Vengadesan
While Amanah president Mohamad Sabu does not view the collaboration between Warisan and Muda as a threat to the Pakatan Harapan coalition, DAP's Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu disagrees, saying it could give the coalition a "big headache".
He told Malaysiakini the DAP-PKR-Amanah axis, which has been at the heart of the Pakatan Rakyat and Harapan coalitions since 2008 prior to the split in PAS, will need to tread carefully or it could be blindsided.
"The 15th general election (GE15) is going to be multi-cornered contests all over the place. You already have Harapan vs BN vs Perikatan Nasional (PN). Aside from that, we have Pejuang and Putera, and now Warisan is teaming up with Muda, not to mention the third force of independents.
"That's one of the reasons why I was dead against the idea of DAP going solo. We can even lose Selangor and Penang if we do so," he said.
DAP has helmed the Penang state government since the breakthrough election of 2008, while PKR has led the Selangor government also from the same period.
Of seat fights and loyalty
"Is this (Warisan-Muda collaboration) meant to challenge BN and PN or to compete against Harapan?
"Think about it. It's now a big headache for Harapan. What happens when Warisan, Muda and Pejuang start asking to share seats in the next GE with Harapan?
"If we don't share, it's bad, but if we share, they may dump Haparan to work with BN or PN after winning some seats, just like Bersatu did," Liu said.
"There's nothing we can do if that happens," the veteran DAP man added.
While Amanah president Mohamad Sabu does not view the collaboration between Warisan and Muda as a threat to the Pakatan Harapan coalition, DAP's Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu disagrees, saying it could give the coalition a "big headache".
He told Malaysiakini the DAP-PKR-Amanah axis, which has been at the heart of the Pakatan Rakyat and Harapan coalitions since 2008 prior to the split in PAS, will need to tread carefully or it could be blindsided.
"The 15th general election (GE15) is going to be multi-cornered contests all over the place. You already have Harapan vs BN vs Perikatan Nasional (PN). Aside from that, we have Pejuang and Putera, and now Warisan is teaming up with Muda, not to mention the third force of independents.
"That's one of the reasons why I was dead against the idea of DAP going solo. We can even lose Selangor and Penang if we do so," he said.
DAP has helmed the Penang state government since the breakthrough election of 2008, while PKR has led the Selangor government also from the same period.
Of seat fights and loyalty
"Is this (Warisan-Muda collaboration) meant to challenge BN and PN or to compete against Harapan?
"Think about it. It's now a big headache for Harapan. What happens when Warisan, Muda and Pejuang start asking to share seats in the next GE with Harapan?
"If we don't share, it's bad, but if we share, they may dump Haparan to work with BN or PN after winning some seats, just like Bersatu did," Liu said.
"There's nothing we can do if that happens," the veteran DAP man added.
Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu
Yesterday, Mohamad said there was no threat to Harapan through the establishment of a Warisan-Muda tie-up and that his party would discuss at the Harapan presidential council level if there is a need to form a "big tent" alliance.
The Amanah president also said a convincing course of action was also needed following the defeat in the recent Malacca state election which compelled Harapan to restructure the opposition parties and find new strength.
He was commenting on Warisan's stand to continue its national alliance with Muda and was also open to working with other parties in facing GE15.
Warisan president Shafie Apdal had made scathing remarks as he touted Warisan as a national party and contrasted it with multiracial parties based in Peninsular Malaysia which he said was only multiracial in name.
"The parties say they are multiracial but they are not multiracial. Which party is said to be multiracial? PKR? DAP?" he had said.
Yesterday, Mohamad said there was no threat to Harapan through the establishment of a Warisan-Muda tie-up and that his party would discuss at the Harapan presidential council level if there is a need to form a "big tent" alliance.
The Amanah president also said a convincing course of action was also needed following the defeat in the recent Malacca state election which compelled Harapan to restructure the opposition parties and find new strength.
He was commenting on Warisan's stand to continue its national alliance with Muda and was also open to working with other parties in facing GE15.
Warisan president Shafie Apdal had made scathing remarks as he touted Warisan as a national party and contrasted it with multiracial parties based in Peninsular Malaysia which he said was only multiracial in name.
"The parties say they are multiracial but they are not multiracial. Which party is said to be multiracial? PKR? DAP?" he had said.
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kt comments:
There is a vast difference between Mat Sabu's "not a threat to PH" and Ronnie Liu's "will be a headache to PH".
Ronnie is right in that MUDA (not so much WARISAN) may siphon off some young votes from PH, hence becoming a "headache" for the Anwar-coalition in a multi-party fight.
But apart from young votes for MUDA, I do not see Warisan as an attraction for the normal DAP-PH constituency.
Warisan and Muda are both likely Atuk front organisations, promoted as a barrier against Anwar Ibrahim, Atuk's key political objective.
ReplyDeleteJust look at their leaders Shadie Apdal and Syed Saddiq, both close Atul allies.