‘I assume the issue was raised to divert attention from ICERD’ PAS deputy president on Mahathir’s GE14 claims

(The Sun Daily) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad only raised the issue of Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders being lured to join Umno and PAS — months after the general election had concluded — in an attempt to divert public anger from the government.

PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, in denying any truth to the prime minister’s statement, said the matter was only brought up now to cover up the issues relating to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

“I assume the issue was raised to divert attention from ICERD, which the rakyat is angry about. And I don’t see any importance to raise (what happened during the elections), because it is done and dusted.

“It is better that we focus on the future of the country than discussing matters that are history now,” he told reporters in parliament, here today.

Mahathir had on Monday said there were attempts to persuade PH Malay-Muslim leaders to join Umno and PAS to form a unity government, hours after the 14th General Election.

Tuan Ibrahim, however, said it would be absurd for any parliamentarian to jump ship from a coalition that had just scored a shocking victory against Barisan Nasional (BN) and join a losing pact.

“I think it makes no sense that MPs from a party that could already form a federal government would even want to jump to another party that was not even sure it could. Rationally, it is illogical,” he said.