PKR leader threatens retaliation if Muda goes against them

 

JOHOR POLLS | PKR has cautioned that it can do the same to Muda if the youth-led party were to contest against PKR candidates in the Johor polls.

This was after talks between PKR and Muda collapsed after the former announced candidates for seats that Muda was lobbying for.

Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said his party leadership will convene to decide the way forward, adding that if clashes cannot be avoided, Muda will leave the decision to voters.

PKR Wanita vice-chief Faizah Ariffin did not take kindly to Syed Saddiq's comment.

Faizah said the suggestion of a possible clash showed that Muda held a grudge after the collapse of the negotiations.

"If that is their wish, it is my view for PKR to also field a candidate in seats contested by Muda, particularly in Puteri Wangsa.

"Muda is not part of Harapan and I do not see a problem facing them in the field," she said in a statement.

Faizah said Muda should accept the failure of the negotiations but if it wanted a fight, it would get one.

"I welcome his view... It is open for any party to put any candidates in any seats that they deem have a good chance of winning," she said.

Puteri Wangsa is considered a winnable seat and Muda has announced its secretary-general Amira Aisya Abd Aziz as their candidate.

PKR's partners Amanah and DAP concluded their negotiations with Muda on Feb 9, offering the party six seats to contest in.

They are Tenang, Bukit Kepong, Parit Raja, Machap, Puteri Wangsa and Bukit Permai.

However, Muda and PKR failed to reach an agreement as PKR was only prepared to offer the Umno strongholds of Sri Medan, Semarang and Benut while Muda wanted Gambir and Larkin.

PKR has already announced Johor PKR secretary Naim Jusri in Gambir and Zamil Najwah Arbain for Larkin.

PKR MP relates radical days

Meanwhile, PKR's Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, in a separate statement, said Syed Saddiq should not be making threats.

Hassan related his younger days when he was part of Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) which he described as "more radical" than Muda.

He said since his involvement in politics in 1974, the opposition had been trying to build a united front.

"In 1986, I was involved in such efforts when I was the secretary-general of a radical left-wing party whose ideology is even more radical than today's Muda.

"But, even though we were radical, we were always civil in meetings. We never issue threats among the opposition parties," he said.

PRM merged with Parti Keadilan Nasional in 2003 to form PKR.

Hassan reminded Syed Saddiq that PKR was a party born out of the struggle for reform and many of its leaders had protested on the streets and had been jailed.

"We won't back down when challenged," he said. - Mkini