‘Pakatan has disappointed Anwar’
(Berita Daily) – Pakatan Harapan’s failure to strategise with PAS in facing the ruling BN at the next general election has disappointed their imprisoned leader Anwar Ibrahim, claimed an ex–PKR parliamentarian.
In essence, Pakatan has fallen straight into the playbook of their nemesis, BN, with the age old tactic of dividing the people to rule, said lawyer Yusmadi Yusoff, who is now the Free Anwar movement coordinator.
“And it enrages me to read of squabbles and infighting. It has forced Anwar to issue letters or statements from his jail block when he should be setting the agenda of how to win over the undecided,” claimed Yusmadi.
The former Balik Pulau MP said that the leaders in Pakatan have miserably failed to manage the issue effectively.
“It is not about taking sides; it is about addressing the issue as in essence to the laymen out there; we are all on the same side as the Opposition for now unless some of us have chosen to become moles of BN.”
Pakatan should pronounce two clear objectives; which is to offer itself as a real alternative to BN with statements and policies which are people–centric and to find ways so Anwar can be set free from what is seen as a trumped up charge.
It must redouble the effort to free Anwar from what many quarters define as a form of political persecution, Yusmadi said.
Anwar has gone to jail twice because he is perceived to be a threat, he noted.
He said there was no political solution on whether Pakatan should cooperate with PAS or vice–versa.
“Who can confidently tell me that Pakatan will win in a multi–cornered contests, or that it would favour the incumbency of BN. Nobody knows. The ones, who will dictate it, are the voters; so let us go back to them.”
He said there were many projections out there about who can win, or lose, but for those grounded; it is an uncertain process out there as both BN and Pakatan are heading into an election in a weakened condition – it is an unforeseen scenario.
Both sides have lost leaders, who have either passed on, retired or defected to the other side while in some cases, some went independent.
Yusmadi urged Pakatan to pose this enigma to the people at public events or their routine ceramahs on whether it was necessary to cooperate with PAS.
The people may be able to provide concise answers, although PAS has repeatedly rejected cooperating with either of the political blocs, said Yusmadi.
“There must also be a dialogue with the PAS grassroots on whether they are supportive of what their leaders are attempting to orchestrate,” he added.
PAS is aiming to become the first political party in Malaysia to win on their own strength rather than on multilateralism which has become the common ground for BN and Pakatan to thrive on, noted Yusmadi.
Will it work? Only the people can provide the answers, he said.
This coming election will also reveal whether there is room for the third entities such as PAS or other parties to contest on their own strength, said Yusmadi.
