Loke reminds Syed Saddiq he owes Muar win to Harapan

Loke reminds Syed Saddiq he owes Muar win to Harapan


DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke warned Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman that the latter’s victory in the Muar parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15) is due to Pakatan Harapan’s backing.

He said this in response to Syed Saddiq and Muda’s threat to withdraw support from the unity government.

The Muar MP threatened the move if there was no explanation from the Attorney-General’s Chambers on the withdrawal of 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Loke asserted that Syed Saddiq has the obligation and responsibility to support the coalition government because the votes he garnered in GE15 and carrying his seat were with the help of Harapan.

“First of all, this (withdrawing support from the government) is their decision. They have to make their own decision.

“But let me remind them (Muda and Syed Saddiq) that Syed Saddiq did not win Muar on his own merit.

“He won because there was an electoral understanding with Harapan. We did not put our candidate there, and DAP lent our support to him, we campaigned for him,” he said.

Loke said this at a press conference at DAP’s conference at the Marriot Hotel in Putrajaya today.


Dependent on Muda

Yesterday, Syed Saddiq indicated that Muda has yet to decide on whether to withdraw support from the government, saying such a decision would be made collectively with fellow party leaders.

Previously, Syed Saddid labelled DAP a “lapdog” to Zahid after DAP’s Nga Kor Ming issued a warning against him over Muda possibly pulling support for the coalition government.

Nga Kor Ming

In response to the DAP vice-president, Syed Saddiq also called the Harapan component party “hypocrites”, “power hungry”, and “without principles”.

The Anwar administration had come to power last November with 148 MPs on the government bench - just enough for a two-thirds majority that should, in theory, allow the government to amend the Federal Constitution.

The 148 included Syed Saddiq, who is the Muar MP.

Harapan’s victory in Pulai last night restored the status quo for the coalition in Parliament.

However, whether the government can have a two-thirds majority now rests on Muda - whose single seat is the deciding factor.

Without Muda, Harapan and its Madani coalition allies only have 147 seats in Parliament.

It is one short of a two-thirds majority required for several reforms sought by the government, including citizenship rights for women married to non-Malaysians abroad and separating the offices of the attorney-general and solicitor-general.