For DAP, damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Where’s DAP in Harapan’s top leadership line-up, asks Salleh

SusahKes: Communications and Multimedia Minister and Umno treasurer Salleh Said Keruak has questioned the absence of DAP lawmakers in the top three positions in Pakatan Harapan’s new leadership line-up.

Salleh, I am surprised that it is you who launched the first salvo, instead of the usual members from MCA and Gerakan.

But we are also acutely aware how you and Umno play this game; put DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang or others from DAP into the top echelon, and you will spin it to say that DAP controls Harapan, if only to spook your Malay voter base.

By the way, three of DAP’s members are in the Harapan leadership line-up: Lim Guan Eng is a deputy president, Chong Chieng Jien is vice-president, and M Kula Segaran is treasurer.

Anything more than this, and I am pretty convinced that Awang Selamat would be penning a juicy op-ed in Utusan Malaysia.

Vijay47: Salleh, I am very impressed. Faithfully following in the footsteps of your ‘sifu’ (master) Zakir Naik, you too are seemingly aspiring to be a scholar – in your case, in politics and the strategies of Sun Tzu. Thus, you scheme to scatter disorder and hubbub amongst thine enemy.

First, you suggest that in establishing its leadership line-up, Harapan has shunned DAP, hoping that this neglect would rile members of DAP enough to weaken the alliance’s solidarity.

And if the fish doesn’t bite, you will play the flip side, saying that the star cast is all a show, that DAP is very much in control, pulling the strings from behind.

Aries46: The newly-heralded Harapan leadership has excited many among the die-hard Harapan supporters, though it seems to have struck fear among some in the Umno-BN outfit.

Salleh, for instance, ridicules an allegedly weakened role for DAP in the new line-up but assumes it as a gimmick to project Malay dominance. But these were the same critics who previously ran down Harapan Malay-based parties as stooges of DAP dominance.

Salleh’s fears whether Harapan can govern the country is unwarranted. With the expertise and experience of leaders such as Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the helm of Harapan, Salleh can put his fears to rest.

Headhunter: Funny, isn’t it, that Salleh is concerned about DAP? I thought BN would be celebrating to watch DAP being sidelined, if that’s what Salleh is implying.

It goes to show what BN has been saying about DAP are all lies and conjectures to demonise the party.

Gerard Lourdesamy: DAP does not want the PM or DPM post. As long as Chinese and Indians are well represented in the cabinet in relation to their size in the population, the DAP is happy.

Other positions rightly belong to the Malays and East Malaysia bumiputera because of the political reality.

Falcon: Salleh, it would be ideal if you spend time addressing snowballing BN woes rather than comment about others.

Unless fear grips your political soul that Sabah is being challenged with a charismatic local boy, and now Semenanjung going the same way?

GE14 Voter: It’s good that DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is not officially included in the Harapan line-up.

This way, he will do minimum damage to Harapan with the loose statements he likes to make sometimes, but he is still free to do maximum damage to BN. It’s the best of both worlds.

Kit Siang: Harapan not dominated by Malays nor by DAP

Gerard Lourdesamy: Kit Siang, why bother to reply? The Chinese are well aware that political power must remain with the Malays. What they want is effective representation, fairness and equal treatment after 60 years of nationhood.

They want to feel respected and accepted in a country they call their own despite differences in religion, traditions and customs. Umno-BN has failed them by all accounts since 1969.

Spinnot: I agree with Kit Siang. Now that the Malay-only party Bersatu has joined Harapan, the coalition is dominated by the Malays.

We have to wait and see whether this BN-style political structure will win Malay votes from BN.

Yeoke: I believe as far as the majority of DAP supporters are concerned, they would want the party’s visions for the nation be achieved, rather than expecting DAP leaders to hold important posts.

Sinner: Yes, if DAP leaders just wanted positions, the party would have joined the ruling BN coalition long ago, even before Salleh learnt how to spell the word “politics”.

Minister’s ‘contradicting statements’ sign of fear, says Syed Saddiq

Ipohcrite: Salleh is so desperately busy spinning that he cannot possibly remember what he had said even just a week ago.

He has now appointed himself as an internal auditor with oversight duties for Harapan’s line-up in facing GE14.

What a comical character he is, totally devoid of integrity and resorting to hitting the opposition below the belt.

Sleepy: Even if the Harapan logo is like ‘Star Trek’, I like it.

Indeed, Harapan to boldly go “where no man/woman has gone before” is so apt in the Malaysian political context.

AEIOU:  Beam us up (to Putrajaya)!

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