Bersatu's rivals wooing members out of fear, Faizal claims

 

Bersatu's rivals are wooing its members as they feel threatened by the rising support for Perikatan Nasional, claimed Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

He said their rivals - which he did not name - wanted to make Bersatu appear weak.

“As Bersatu gets more attention and support, the enemy becomes nervous.

“Among us, there are those being approached, being wooed, to be cut (from the party) so that Bersatu looks weak and disoriented,” he said.

“There are those among us who always forget, that our political enemies only approach us when we appear as a threat to their power,” Faizal added.

Faizal said this when officiating the Bersatu wing's AGM in Shah Alam today.

So far, Bersatu has had four of its MPs declare support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, effectively defecting despite not leaving the part.

‘We’re not instilling fear’

In his speech today, Faizal called on Bersatu to remain loyal to party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Meanwhile, besides wooing Bersatu members, he also claimed that the party's rivals were trying to instil fear among non-Malays against PN.

The Bersatu deputy president accused them of Islamophobia by portraying an Islamic-based administration as one that is extreme and promotes violence.

This, he said, includes labelling PN's win in 74 Parliament seats a “green wave”, while also warning against the possibility of “Taliban rule” in the country.

“Words like ‘extremists’, ‘dark ages’, ‘non-progressive’ which when were linked to an Islamic leadership, was very hurtful.

“Stigmatising ‘Taliban’ and ‘green wave’ is very dangerous as it sows the seeds of racism and will only get more dangerous in the long run,” he said.

On the same note, Faizal also reminded members to be mindful of their interactions with their partners in PN.

“In everything we say and do as a party member, the ties and sensitivities of our friends in the (PN) component parties must always be protected,” he said.

When met by reporters later, Faizal denied that his remarks about Islamophobia were aimed at the current government.

“I am not talking about the government, but there are some leaders who try to portray that when you mention ‘Taliban’ or ‘green wave’, it is something negative,” he said. - Mkini