FMT:
Gerakan scrambling for support after Hadi’s claims, says analyst
The multiracial party’s hopes of limiting the damage to its support rests on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang being willing to clarify his statements about non-Malays and corruption.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s recent remarks that non-Malays were the country’s “biggest plunderers” have alienated Gerakan, its ally in Perikatan Nasional.
PETALING JAYA: Statements by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang about non-Malays being the “biggest plunderers” have put Gerakan, its partner in Perikatan Nasional, in an uncomfortable situation ahead of the coming state elections, says a political analyst.
Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said Gerakan cannot expect to win over non-Malay support following Hadi’s recent comments.
Hadi had said Malays were being “openly conned” by minority groups.
Gerakan can only limit the damage if Hadi is willing to publicly clarify his statement, for example by explaining how he came to his conclusions, Fauzi told FMT.
On Thursday, Gerakan distanced itself from the Hadi controversy, saying that Hadi was only expressing his personal views which did not represent PN’s overall stance. Gerakan president Dominic Lau said he would discuss the matter with Hadi.
Asked if Gerakan should leave PN, Fauzi said “not yet” because of a lack of any alternatives that would make sense.
“Being ostensibly multi-racial but Chinese-dominated, Gerakan cannot hope to fill in DAP’s shoes in Pakatan Harapan, neither can it trump MCA’s position in Barisan Nasional,” he said.
He said Gerakan’s role in PN was to attract non-Malay voters who are against both PH and BN. He said PN could better present a “Malaysian face” by giving Gerakan more winnable seats.
Lau has stated that his party hoped to field candidates in the six state elections and had submitted 70 names to PN’s supreme council for consideration.
However, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said it was “next to impossible” for Gerakan to gather non-Malay support as “most non-Malays fear the PAS theocratic agenda, and Gerakan has chosen to associate itself with them”.
Just as PH could not expect to win significant Malay support, Gerakan could not be expected to win any non-Malay support, he said.
kt comments: What ally???
PETALING JAYA: Statements by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang about non-Malays being the “biggest plunderers” have put Gerakan, its partner in Perikatan Nasional, in an uncomfortable situation ahead of the coming state elections, says a political analyst.
Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said Gerakan cannot expect to win over non-Malay support following Hadi’s recent comments.
Hadi had said Malays were being “openly conned” by minority groups.
Gerakan can only limit the damage if Hadi is willing to publicly clarify his statement, for example by explaining how he came to his conclusions, Fauzi told FMT.
On Thursday, Gerakan distanced itself from the Hadi controversy, saying that Hadi was only expressing his personal views which did not represent PN’s overall stance. Gerakan president Dominic Lau said he would discuss the matter with Hadi.
Asked if Gerakan should leave PN, Fauzi said “not yet” because of a lack of any alternatives that would make sense.
“Being ostensibly multi-racial but Chinese-dominated, Gerakan cannot hope to fill in DAP’s shoes in Pakatan Harapan, neither can it trump MCA’s position in Barisan Nasional,” he said.
He said Gerakan’s role in PN was to attract non-Malay voters who are against both PH and BN. He said PN could better present a “Malaysian face” by giving Gerakan more winnable seats.
Lau has stated that his party hoped to field candidates in the six state elections and had submitted 70 names to PN’s supreme council for consideration.
However, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said it was “next to impossible” for Gerakan to gather non-Malay support as “most non-Malays fear the PAS theocratic agenda, and Gerakan has chosen to associate itself with them”.
Just as PH could not expect to win significant Malay support, Gerakan could not be expected to win any non-Malay support, he said.
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