Harapan ‘family drama’ won’t end well, Gerakan head says

Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong has likened the internal fighting within federal opposition pact Pakatan Harapan for their prime minister candidate to a "family drama" without a happy ending for Malaysians.

"Up until now, they are still incapable of deciding on their prime minister candidate although they have been together for some time, and the general election is drawing closer as the days go by.

"Their constant bickering and infighting is akin to a family drama where everyone has their own nominee, and then came to a ludicrous idea where a 'transitional prime minister' post has been created for the sake of passing it to another person," Mah said in his speech at today's MCA-Gerakan "Stronger Together, One Heart" gathering held at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur.

Parts of his speech, which was delivered in Mandarin, were projected onto a screen and accompanied by English subtitles.

While admitting that he was not proficient in Mandarin, Mah quipped that he still wanted to show off his linguistic ability to the 2,500 delegates, who also comprised non-Chinese Gerakan members.

At one point, Mah questioned the delegates over Harapan's plans to appoint former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as their prime minister candidate, amid resistance from supporters of jailed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"Is it possible for Mahathir to (eventually) relinquish the post to Anwar?" he asked the audience, before suggesting that Mahathir would be better off proposing his son Mukhriz for the top post.

In his speech, Mah also took swipes at DAP for its alleged failures in leading Penang over the last 10 years.

"Before the elections they dared to make false promises, promised everything that is as beautiful as the moon and the stars.

"But after 10 years of ruling Penang, the DAP has crushed our hopes. The Penang of today is a Pulau Mutiara that has lost its lustre," he said.

Among others, Mah claimed that the Penang government had failed to protect the environment, the safety of people living around its hill slopes, and to take action against illegal factories operating in the state.

"The DAP has failed, failed, failed.

"They only succeeded in one thing, and that one thing is successfully running away from its responsibilities," he claimed, citing operations of an illegal factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam, which DAP insisted was due to shortcomings of the previous BN state administration under former Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.- Mkini