Gerakan a liability to PN now, says Penang PAS Youth leader

 

FMT:

Gerakan a liability to PN

now, says Penang PAS

Youth leader

FMT Reporters

-31 Jul 2024, 02:47 PM

Penang PAS deputy youth chief Hafiz Alias accuses Gerakan of behaving like DAP and becoming the PH component’s mouthpiece.

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Penang PAS deputy youth chief Hafiz Alias said Gerakan can leave Perikatan Nasional if it disagrees with the coalition’s direction. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A Penang PAS Youth leader has described Gerakan as a liability to Perikatan Nasional (PN) now due to the actions of its leaders on issues involving alcohol and gambling.

Hafiz Alias, PAS’s deputy youth chief in the state, said Gerakan was behaving in a similar manner as DAP had during its time with the Islamic party in the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat, especially on matters related to gambling.

Is Gerakan deliberately playing dumb despite us (PAS) explaining (the party’s stance) multiple times?

 he asked in a video uploaded on TikTok yesterday.

We want to prevent Muslims from doing all sorts of sinful and immoral things.

Hafiz also accused Gerakan of becoming DAP’s mouthpiece, saying the stance of the PN component mirrored that of DAP on similar issues.

If PAS wants to be with Gerakan but Gerakan behaves like DAP, then what’s the use of PAS fighting alongside them?

PAS and Gerakan have been at odds over the role of brewery companies in facilitating fundraising events for Chinese schools.

Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong said Gerakan would not hesitate to leave PN if its coalition allies continued to display religious extremism and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

The dispute was sparked by criticism from PAS over a deputy minister accepting a RM3 million mock cheque bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a fundraising event.

Responding to Gerakan’s threat to leave PN, Hafiz said the party was welcome to do so if it disagreed with PN’s direction.

He added that Gerakan was not even influential, claiming that it had contributed hardly anything in Penang and noting its single seat in Malay-majority Kedah.

He said the youth wing of Penang PAS had proposed at the party’s muktamar that the position of state PN chairman, currently held by Gerakan president Dominic Lau, be reassigned.

“He doesn’t function as a chairperson, so there are no meetings, nothing. If there’s a by-election, only PAS and Bersatu contribute while Gerakan does nothing.

If Gerakan wants to quit, go ahead. There are many others who can represent the Chinese (in Penang),

 he said, adding that representatives from PAS’s non-Muslim supporters wing (DHPP) were being increasingly accepted.

He said Penang PAS Youth had met yesterday and appointed a new DHPP youth wing chief, who would replace Gerakan’s role in representing the Chinese and Indians in the coalition.