Unfair to ask Muda to contest only in unwinnable seats, says analyst

 

Two PKR leaders have suggested that Muda candidates contest in Umno and PAS strongholds. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders should not be challenging Muda to contest only in unwinnable seats if they are sincere about wanting the party to join the coalition, a political analyst said.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Muda should also be given the opportunity to contest in PH’s strongholds, which would fit the purpose of a coalition, where component parties help one another.

On Wednesday, two Selangor PKR division chiefs challenged Muda to contest in Umno and PAS strongholds in the 15th general election to prove that it is sincere in wanting to join PH.

Hulu Selangor PKR chief Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan and Tanjong Karang PKR chief Yahya Mat Sahri said they did not want Muda to ride on the coalition’s coattails by contesting only in safe seats.

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Azmi Hassan.

Sathia also suggested that Muda contest for 15 unwinnable seats.

Azmi said it was not fair for the party to be told to contest in only 15 unwinnable seats.

He said Muda should be given the opportunity to contest in other seats, including PH strongholds, citing the example of Barisan Nasional (BN), where candidates from MCA and MIC were able to win seats in the Melaka and Johor state elections with votes from Umno supporters.

“If they want to accept Muda, then accept it and give the allocation of seats quite fairly,” he told FMT.

However, he said Muda should also not demand any seats “because it has nothing yet to prove” to the coalition, and noted that it only scored a “minor victory” in Johor, where it won the Puteri Wangsa seat and lost six others.

Azmi also said the challenge issued by the two PKR leaders showed that some were not keen to accept Muda into PH.

Awang Azman Pawi.

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the challenge issued by the PKR duo reflected the sentiments of the party’s leadership and grassroots who felt that Muda was taking a shortcut by eyeing only winnable seats.

“Such views have some truth (behind them) as PKR needs proof that Muda is willing to start from fresh,” he said.

He also said that by asking the young party to contest in BN and PAS strongholds, both PKR leaders were challenging the party to build its grassroots support among rural, conservative Malays as it was too focused on winning urban votes.

“It is a difficult task (for Muda) but they have to work from now and not only depend solely on votes from the same ‘market’ as PKR and DAP,” he said. - FMT