Don’t repeat our misstep with Bersatu, says PKR man

 

Selayang MP William Leong of PKR says Dr Mahathir Mohamad was only interested in his own priorities.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan should avoid a “big tent” approach, with its danger of clashing ideologies, when taking on Barisan Nasional at the general election, a PKR leader said.

“We must have parties that are on the same track with the same ideology,” said William Leong, treasurer-general of PKR.

He looked back to the coalition’s experience when it teamed up with Bersatu, then led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was eventually named as the prime minister after the 2018 general election.

However, Mahathir was only interested in pushing his own ideologies and priorities “which were different from ours”, said Leong, who is Selayang MP. “So it cannot be a coalition with differing ideologies, it will definitely fall apart.”

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He said the opposition coalition had used a similar approach for the 2013 general election, by coming up with a reform agenda and manifesto. “But for me, ideology comes first,” he said.

The “big tent” approach is used to describe PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s preference for uniting all opposition parties against the BN. However, deputy president Rafizi Ramli has repeatedly said he was against the idea.

On a separate issue, Leong said that the recent convictions of former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor would be able to boost support for the coalition.

He said this was based on the party’s observations and surveys conducted since the trial began.

Leong said the party felt there was a “change in trajectory” and there was more interest and more support (for PH) after the court decisions. - FMT