Why has PAS' move to support Dr M angered Harapan, asks Wee

MCA president Wee Ka Siong (above) has expressed his puzzlement over the reaction of some politicians in the ruling coalition over PAS' move to table a vote of confidence motion in Parliament in support of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Wee said the ruling politicians were outraged by the PAS plan to support the prime minister and they were in shivers, even before the motion has been submitted to the Dewan Rakyat.

He believes that politicians in the ruling governments of countries all over the world would not act as such when a similar vote of confidence motion is pushed by the opposition in their Parliaments.

"I don't know why some quarters even shiver without even having seen the motion. This should not be the case," Wee told media when attending MCA's media night at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur last night.

"For the ruling parties to get upset by the motion by the opposition party, it is strange.

"They felt that would split the (ruling parties). What is there for us to split? (Only) voting on a no-confidence motion (against the premier) can be divisive (in nature)," he said.

'Development shows disharmony in the ruling coalition'

Wee said the development indeed showed disharmony and conflict in the ruling coalition, be it inter-party or intra-party.

He said this when asked to respond to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's statement that the motion by PAS is meant to split Harapan and that such a plot would not succeed.

Last Saturday, PAS president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man announced that the Islamist party would move a vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat for Mahathir to serve as prime minister until the end of his five-year term.

The move, according to PAS, is to pre-empt a possible vote of no-confidence being tabled against Mahathir by those dissatisfied with his leadership.

Mahathir said he had no idea about PAS' plan to push for a motion for a vote of confidence in him.

He moved on to welcome the PAS plan to move a "vote of confidence" motion for him in Parliament, but pointed out he "is already prime minister".

Asked if MCA would support the PAS motion, Wee said it would not be fair on the part of MCA to give a blanket approval without first reading the motion.

"I think we have to be objective. Our stand is that whatever decision we make must be based on the interest of the people and of the nation," Wee added. -Mkini