Unfair to make Anwar shoulder all burden - PKR rep tells DAP Youth

 

Selangor PKR Youth Najwan Halimi has not taken kindly to DAP Youth's demand for an apology from Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and threat to sever ties with PKR.

Najwan said this in reference to DAP Youth secretary Teh Hong Keat's criticism of Anwar for instructing opposition MPs not to go for a bloc vote during the second reading of Budget 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat.

This led to a round of recriminations among the opposition forces.

Najwan, who is also the Kota Anggerik assemblyperson, said the Pakatan Harapan presidential council has endorsed Anwar's efforts to restore the Harapan government and party leaders should therefore abide by party discipline with regard to the matter.

"We need to appreciate that the effort is not easy. Harapan lost power when Anwar did not hold any position in the cabinet during Harapan's 22 months in power.

"Therefore, it is very unfair for Anwar to have to shoulder all the burden when his hands and legs were bound.

"Such as an attitude is aimed at bullying Anwar and PKR. The fact is Anwar has for more than 20 years dedicated his struggle to strengthening the opposition coalition," Najwan said in a statement.

As such, Najwan (photo) said DAP Youth and Teh should not go overboard with their statements without first referring to their own top leadership.

Meanwhile, Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak said Teh was being rude and should be more courteous in his criticism.

He said Teh's suggestion of severing ties with PKR will only split the opposition.

"Budget 2021 has yet to pass and the opposition's effort is not over. We are only taking the long road and hope that the people can be patient," said Farhash in a separate statement.

On Thursday, Anwar raised eyebrows when he instructed opposition MPs not to go for a bloc vote, which would have required the number of votes in favour and against Budget 2021 to be counted.

A bloc vote would have, by extension, established Muhyiddin's support level in the Dewan Rakyat as it was also a proxy confidence vote.

Last-minute concessions

Anwar had in September claimed Muhyiddin had lost his majority in the Dewan Rakyat and the former had secured enough support to form the new government.

Anwar later claimed his decision not to have bloc voting was so the opposition won't appear to be blanketly objecting to Budget 2021 which included several additional aids to the people.

Instead, he said Harapan will put up a fight during the committee stage where the Dewan Rakyat will vote on the policy details by each ministry.

However, opposition sources have told Malaysiakini the move may have been due to the fact that Anwar could not muster enough numbers to defeat the Budget 2021 during the second reading on Thursday.

The last-minute concessions and changes to the budget by Muhyiddin had apparently quelled possible rebellion among some within the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Mounting an attempt to defeat specific parts of Budget 2021 during the committee stage or third reading (final vote) would buy time for further negotiations. - Mkini