Don’t lose moral high ground by accepting frogs, says Kit Siang

 

Lim Kit Siang says it would be better to lose by being consistent with political principles and integrity than winning with ‘opportunists and crooks’.

PETALING JAYA: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang today reminded Pakatan Harapan (PH) not to lose its moral high ground by accepting any of the “Melaka 4″ to contest under the coalition’s banner in the upcoming state polls.

Welcoming the decision by the PH presidential council yesterday in rejecting one of the four assemblymen, former DAP man Norhizam Hassan Baktee, Lim called for the same to apply to the other three as well.

“It has been said that to achieve victory in Melaka, we must tactically join with anyone that can give PH a victory,” he added in a thinly veiled attack on PKR vice-president Tian Chia who made such remarks recently.

“But I am of the view that neither of these assemblymen who caused the collapse of the Melaka state government and this state election to be held, should become PH candidates.

“If given the choice of victory by teaming with opportunists and crooks or defeat by being consistent with political principles and integrity, I will opt for the latter,” Lim said in a statement.

The Iskandar Puteri MP was referring to former chief minister Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) and Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas), who with Norhizam (Pengkalan Batu), had declared earlier this month that they were pulling out their support for the state government and chief minister Sulaiman Md Ali.

Idris and Nor Azman have since been sacked from Umno, while Noor Effandi had his membership terminated by Bersatu.

The PH presidential council meeting yesterday announced that Norhizam would not be named as a candidate in the polls. On the other three members of the “Melaka 4”, the presidential council said their candidacy in the state election was not brought up during the meeting.

Meanwhile, DAP national organising secretary Loke Siew Fook said the party would not work with traitors, adding that it made this stand clear at previous PH presidential council meetings.

“PH must reject traitors. Period,” Loke said in a posting on his Facebook page.

DAP’s Klang MP Charles Santiago also warned yesterday that the “Melaka 4” could potentially defect again should they win in the by-election. He said the four politicians had only retracted their support for the Barisan Nasional state government to protect their own vested interests.

“So, there is no guarantee they won’t jump parties again,” he said. - FMT