Time to stop fantasizing that PAS will work with Harapan

Ambiga fears three-cornered fights will hand BN 2/3 majority

Legit: National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Ambiga Sreenevasan fears BN will secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament in the coming general election (GE14) if a three-cornered fight ensues.

Therefore, Ambiga cautioned against taking risks and advised Pakatan Harapan to continue negotiating with PAS to ensure straight fights in the election.

It is time for Harapan to move on without PAS. Do not worry about three-cornered fights as it is a mere waste of time considering GE14 is just around the corner. Harapan should spend all its energy on battling it out without PAS.

PKR had better stop all its nonsense now and focus on what is at hand. Even if PAS decides to work with Harapan, and assuming Harapan forms the federal government, it is very likely PAS will jump ship and join Umno to change the government.

They have shown their colour many times and if people like Ambiga and Selangor MB Azmin Ali haven’t learned their lessons, they ought to go for rehabilitation. Do not let PAS pull the strings and play the kingmaker. Cast them aside and fight the bogus Umno-PAS coalition.

Everywhere you go, you can see that the tide is changing. It is time Harapan gets their act together and get the job done.

Malaccan: People should just get over it. You can’t avoid three-way fights, simply because the PAS leadership is not interested. Move on. They won’t change their minds because they arrogantly think they are better than Harapan and valued by Umno.

The more people whine and moan about how much they need PAS, the more these PAS leaders are amused and convinced about their cause. It will not make them more amenable to reason or Harapan.

The solution left open to Harapan, not because they want it that way but because that is the option left to them, is to make a direct appeal to PAS members and supporters who love this nation more than individual leaders.

No one is saying it is not better to get PAS on board, but PAS doesn’t want it. There are also risks simply because PAS leaders are selfish.

Even if PAS joins the fight against Umno now, you can’t trust them to honour any agreement because PAS sees themselves above all agreements.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Negotiate until when – nomination day? Let’s be realistic. An Umno-PAS electoral pact will be announced after the results of GE14 are out. Until then, PAS will pretend to be fighting Umno-BN.

At the end of the day, race and religion trumps principles. There is nothing that Harapan has that PAS wants. Whereas Umno can offer it hudud and enhanced syariah laws as a prelude to a dual-track legal system for Muslims and non-Muslims. What can Harapan offer given that PAS is now enemies with DAP and Amanah?

If three-cornered fights cannot be avoided, so be it, but Harapan needs to prepare in advance for GE14 and not wait until the last minute for PAS to make up its mind, just like in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

Accused of being ‘Umno agent’, Rafizi says he only met Zahid once

Kingfisher: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has denied PKR central leadership council member Latheefa Koya’s accusation that he is a member of “Geng Ponorogo” – in reference to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s ancestral origin from the Java province in Indonesia – and said the allegation of him being an Umno agent has been making the rounds since last year.

Internal dissent within an organisation on policy matters is normal. What is abnormal is attempts at character assassination from within undermining collective unity and the fundamental mission of an organisation.

This normally occurs when select individuals bring their differences to a parochial personal level of contention, or when some become prominent functionaries and let their prominent “ego” go to their heads without due concern about the overall interests of the organisation they choose to serve.

It seems that both Latheefa and Rafizi in PKR’s team of leaders have gained much esteem from the general public for their courage and public-spirited services. They are obviously significant assets for PKR.

It will be sad both for them personally, and especially for PKR, if these two are unable to resolve whatever ails their cordial professional relations. PKR’s mission and interests are paramount.

Vijay47: Come on, PKR, what are you guys up to? We can understand that in any organisation there could be differences of opinion, even at the higher levels. But it looks as though such disagreement has now reached far more serious proportions.

Last week, it was the possible PKR-PAS hook-up which fortunately has been buried and today it is the Rafizi-Latheefa clash, between two leaders well-respected by the public. This is extremely distressing to all of us, the common folk in the street.

All of you in PKR should end hostilities and get your act together. Otherwise, the entire opposition would be mortally weakened – and guess who’s going to be laughing all the way to Parliament.

Abasir: By casting aspersions against Rafizi on Facebook in such a puerile manner, Latheefa has openly signalled the dire straits her party is in.

The infighting, which is only going to worsen over the weeks, simply means that Malaysians may well see the end of PKR as the coordinating base of the coalition opposing the regime.

Headhunter: I didn’t expect this from Latheefa. I always thought that she is level-headed and courageous.

Attacking your own leaders in this manner is uncalled for unless she’s saying that Umno is using Rafizi to get rid of Najib. Don’t play into the hand of PAS.

Anonymous 2460541488536656:Latheefa should be graceful and apologise to Rafizi. He has done a lot for the opposition in his exposes, which were made at great risk. The rakyat is definitely on his side.

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