KIMANIS POLLS | Unlike the Tanjung Piai by-election, Muafakat Nasional, the Umno/PAS cooperation charter, is hardly mentioned in the BN ceramah sessions held for the Jan 18 Kimanis parliamentary seat by-election.
This is despite PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang introducing the BN candidate, Mohamad Alamin, as the Muafakat Nasional candidate for Kimanis during a ceramah in the semi-rural constituency on Jan 1.
PAS leaders were not even invited to speak at a gathering, dubbed Himpunan Muafakat Rakyat Sabah, that was held at the Kimanis Commercial Centre last night.
The gathering was a platform to show the solidarity of Kadazandusun Murut-based opposition parties against the implementation of the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) - and more specifically, to help BN attain the votes of the orang asal community.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan (above), who attended the Himpunan Muafakat Rakyat Sabah gathering, said Muafakat Nasional was pretty much present in the Kimanis poll campaign.
"PAS was not (made the key speaker) because the event was meant for the local party (leaders to speak)," Takiyuddin said.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man arrived in Kimanis to campaign for BN on Jan 15 and will stay until the polling day on Jan 18, he said.
Takiyuddin said based on the Muafakat Nasional charter inked by Umno and PAS, each has to support for the other party in an election.
He said the level of cooperation between PAS and Umno in Kimanis was the same as their cooperation during the Tanjung Piai by-election.
PAS has an operation centre in Kimanis, Takiyuddin added.
Both PAS and Umno have credited the overwhelming victory in the Tanjung Piai by-election in November 2019 to their charter on cooperation. Even MCA said Muafakat Nasional was part of the reason why MCA won the Tanjung Piai seat.
Takiyuddin, who is also the Kota Bharu parliamentarian, pointed out that PAS does not have a lot of members in Kimanis division.
PAS only set up divisions in more than 10 parliamentary seats out of 25 in Sabah and its membership grew to tens of thousands.
He said it was not necessary for PAS to set up party divisions in all parliamentary divisions as long as Umno has already set up divisions there.
Takiyuddin also laughed off Warisan's attack on PAS. Warisan has been labelling the Islamic party as "an extremist" during its Kimanis by-election campaign sessions.
He said PAS has been attacked in several by-elections in the past and it is used to such tactics.
PAS would only respond with political statements and not mount legal action against the Warisan politicians, he added.
The Kimanis by-election was called after the Election Court voided the Kimanis election result on grounds that the Election Commission (EC) failed to comply with election procedures.
Anifah Aman won Kimanis with a razor-thin 156-vote majority in the last general election.
On another development, Takiyuddin reiterated the stand of PAS to support Dr Mahathir Mohamad to serve a full term as prime minister, instead of Mahathir stepping down in May this year.
"According to the Federal Constitution, you can only bring down a prime minister via a vote of no confidence in the Dewan Rakyat or unless he quits the post," he said.
Not even the Pakatan Harapan presidential council, which is chaired by Mahathir, has the power to make him vacate his post, he said.
"There is no need for the prime minister to step down. He should serve the full term.
"Well, I am suggesting that Harapan puts up a vote of confidence for the prime minister," he said.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's staunch supporters and PKR lawmakers have proposed that Mahathir hands over the baton to Anwar in May this year.
Mahathir has also said he was willing to step down if asked to by the Harapan presidential council.
Anwar, who is the designated eighth prime minister, said the timeline of the transition plan should be discussed and resolved in an amicable manner.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had also responded to the matter, saying there was no need for the presidential council to discuss the takeover since Mahathir had committed to the transition of power to Anwar in November. - Mkini
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