Muda-PKR clash has no bearing on PH ties, says analyst

 

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (centre) with two Muda hopefuls in the Johor elections, Larkin candidate Rasid Abu Bakar (left) and Machap candidate R Sangaran. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Muda’s clash with PKR in the Johor state elections will have little impact on Pakatan Harapan (PH), whose component parties are growing apart, says an analyst.

“All these parties are nominally still part of PH, but increasingly going their separate ways, with or without Muda,” said Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “The discord within PH is already an open secret.”

He said the different dealings among PH component parties with Muda only highlight such differences, adding that it was “not a very inspiring thing” for PKR to use its own logo instead of PH’s.

PKR has said that it will be using its own logo at the Johor polls while Amanah and DAP will contest under the PH banner.

Muda and PKR are set to go head-to-head for the Larkin seat after Muda unveiled Rasid Abu Bakar as its candidate. PKR had announced on Feb 14 that Dr Zamil Najwah Arbain would contest the seat.

While PKR has issues with Muda, DAP and Amanah have offered the newly formed party six seats to contest in the state elections. PKR has since said it would not contest in these six seats out of respect for its component partners, a move that received praise from DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng that it was in line with PH’s “big tent spirit”.

Meanwhile, Akademi Nusantara senior fellow Azmi Hassan believes that “the status quo in Pakatan Harapan will remain” despite Muda’s clash with PKR. “PKR, DAP and Amanah will continue to work together,” he said.

“There will only be minimal protest from Amanah and DAP supporters over PKR using its own logo in Johor and PKR’s acceptance of former Umno assemblymen in Melaka.” - FMT