Two veteran DAP lawmakers today rubbished PAS’ claim that it planned to table a vote of confidence for Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister for a full term to “save the nation”.
Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang (photo) labelled the claim by PAS chief Abdul Hadi Awang as a “fairy tale”.
“Hadi thinks Malaysians are fools to believe the latest PAS fairy tale that its confidence motion in Parliament next month is to save the nation. In fact, it is to torpedo the Pakatan Harapan government and advance Hadi’s choice for Malaysians to be goat-herders or pig-herders
“[...]The advocates of this version of politics are gambling with the future of a multiracial, multilingual, multireligious and multicultural nation,” the DAP supremo said in a statement this morning.
He was referring to a question posed by Hadi in a speech last month in which the latter asked if Malay Muslims “would rather be cow herders or pig herders”. The PAS president said this in the context of understanding politics when choosing between Muslim and non-Muslim rule.
Instead, Lim today added that PAS’ move only proved the Islamic party’s lack of commitment to the principles of parliamentary democracy.
PAS had earlier this month claimed it wanted to table the motion in the coming Dewan Rakyat session to end uncertainties over the promised transfer of power between Mahathir and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
The opposition party claimed this was interfering with the country's political and economic stability.
Lim today said the political situation involving the ruling coalition should have stabilised after the two leaders - Anwar and Mahathir - met to discuss the succession pact and Mahathir affirming his promise to step down after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Kuala Lumpur in November.
He asked: “Will PAS leaders and opposition opportunists continue to stir the pot, hoping to perpetuate the perception that the Harapan federal government is on its last legs?”
Yesterday, Hadi reportedly said the vote was part of the democratic process and lambasted “cowards” who had no confidence in Mahathir’s leadership and were afraid to reveal their stand.
He affirmed his party’s position that the 94-year-old leader is still the best choice for the premiership.
“What is important is that we want to save the nation. Not just the Malays and Muslims but other races as well,” Hadi had said.
Meanwhile, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy deemed Hadi’s claim of wanting to save Malaysia as “hilarious”.
“On the larger question of PAS wanting to save Malaysia, the question is whether the party wants to save itself and its opportunistic leaders from disgrace and oblivion,” he questioned in a separate statement.
The Perai assemblyperson instead accused Hadi of trying to save the latter’s leadership from being challenged.
“It is not Mahathir who wants the motion of confidence, it is PAS. They want to be on his good side not because they are overly concerned about Mahathir but out of sheer political opportunism and adventurism,” Ramasamy said. - Mkini
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