Zahid: RoS expected to ask Pakatan about its leadership

The deputy prime minister says a coalition with three leaders who have different priorities would not augur well for the opposition.

TANGKAK: Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi believes that Pakatan Harapan (PH), which announced its leadership lineup yesterday, will register with the Election Commission as a political entity to enable its candidates to be fielded using a common symbol at the 14th general election (GE14).

According to Bernama, he said that as the home minister he would tell the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to act professionally in looking into the details filled in the application.

He said ROS should also ensure that PH would remain committed to adhering to the Societies Act 1966 as a coalition of political parties.

“I also expect the RoS to ask them who their actual leader is,” the acting Umno deputy president said when opening the Ledang Umno division delegates’ conference here today.

Also present was Ledang Umno chief Hamim Samuri, who is also natural resources and environment deputy minister.

Zahid also said PH’s decision to name three individuals as their top leaders is akin to a ship doomed to sink as it had three captains with different maps.

He said by now people must be wondering who would be holding the executive power in PH and how the coalition could possibly function when each of its top leaders had an own path to follow.

“Logically, a ship which has three captains will be in trouble because one captain would want to sail to the right, while the other to the left. The ship is doomed to sink,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

“We are not questioning their decision. That’s their problem. But we want the people to analyse this. If they have different maps, which direction are they taking?

“Look at Barisan Nasional’s (BN) track record. We are capable of taking care of the people’s wellbeing because we practise the power-sharing concept,” he said.

Zahid said through the power-sharing concept and despite the fact that Umno is the ruling coalition’s backbone, BN had proven that it had never marginalised the rights and interests of the people regardless of their race and religion.

“Yes, Umno has been championing for Malays and Islam, but at the same time the non-Malays and non-Muslims have never been marginalised. That is BN’s power-sharing policy,” he said.

Yesterday, PH, which comprises PKR, DAP, Amanah and PPBM, announced its new leadership structure with PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim as its de facto leader, PPBM’s Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the chairman and PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the president. They have the very same designations in their own parties.

Zahid also said the “Malay Tsunami” promoted by the opposition in view of the upcoming 14th general election (GE14) was just a mind-game to win the support of the people.

“They are calling on the Malays to create a ‘tsunami’ despite knowing very well that the support is now at the lowest level,” he said.

“The election is not about research, but going to the ground. So we must win the hearts and minds of the voters,” he added. -FMT