Former Bersatu leader Saifuddin Abdullah has defended PAS’ decision to retain Hamzah Zainudin as the opposition chief in Parliament.
This followed criticism from Bersatu leaders who accused PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang of turning his back on Perikatan Nasional by making a unilateral decision, which they described as akin to a rule by a “mullah” (Islamic cleric) system.
In a statement, Saifuddin said Hadi’s announcement during the Reset Convention in Kelantan yesterday aligned with the wishes of the majority of opposition MPs.
“The truth is, 43 MPs from PAS and 19 MPs aligned to Hamzah (above) want Hamzah to remain as the opposition chief. This means he has the support of about 80 percent of the MPs in the opposition bloc.
“Hence, it is inaccurate to accuse PAS of turning its back on PN. On the contrary, PAS’ position aligns with the wishes of the majority of opposition MPs.
“The voice of the majority must be respected if we are to make a democratic decision in the opposition. Since the vast majority of opposition MPs still support Hamzah, it is only logical for him to be retained as the opposition chief,” said the Indera Mahkota lawmaker.
During the convention in Tanah Merah yesterday, Hadi said PAS and its PN allies have decided to retain the Larut MP as its parliamentary opposition leader.
Hamzah, who was sacked from Bersatu following a tussle with party president Muhyiddin Yassin, also announced the formation of a new party, Parti Wawasan Negara, which will be aligned with the opposition.
The decision to retain Hamzah as the opposition chief reverses PN’s earlier move to replace him with Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. However, Samsuri would continue as the coalition’s chief.
The parliamentary opposition leader’s post was previously elevated to ministerial level during Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration, and comes complete with perks.
Hadi the ‘supreme leader’
Following the announcements, Marzuki Mohamad, seen as a close confidant to Muhyiddin, criticised the PAS president, whom he said made the decisions on PN’s behalf despite not being a part of its supreme council.
He further argued that PN would have to fall in line with the decisions, as it is headed by Samsuri, whom Marzuki said owes his position at the helm to Hadi’s patronage.
“These are the characteristics that make the PAS president the supreme leader. So, when PN becomes the government, reporters no longer have to go to Putrajaya to know about cabinet decisions.
“They just have to wait at Rusila every Friday,” Marzuki said, referring to Hadi's residence in Terengganu.
‘Cannot trust an unstable coalition’
Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil, in a statement today, called Samsuri, who is also a PAS vice-president, a “lame-duck chairperson” and a puppet to Hadi.
He said this was an unprecedented episode in Malaysia’s history, with an opposition chief removed after just 28 days in office and before he could even lead the cohort in Parliament.
Hadi’s announcements also raised the question of who the real leader of PN is, Faiz added.
“Therefore, this shows that PN is not a stable coalition but a fragile one.
“The public cannot place their confidence in PN to govern the country due to the instability within the coalition, and the dark chapter that unfolded when PN previously governed the nation following the Sheraton Move would likely be repeated because of this fragility.
“Even more troubling, such a situation would pose a serious danger to the country if PN were to form the government, as every government decision could be dictated by and altered at the discretion of the PAS president,” he said. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.