Abdul Aziz Bari, opposition leader in the outgoing Perak state assembly, originally considered running in Tambun himself but is now relieved that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim will lead the charge.
“He’s Pakatan Harapan’s number one with the calibre and charisma to attract the voters.
“I was there initially as leader of the state opposition and I noticed there was no one working on the ground; so when he came, it was indeed a relief for me and now I can focus on the state,” Aziz (above) told Malaysiakini.
He said the Harapan strategy to make Perak a frontline state in the 15th general election (GE15) is a logical move.
“The state is physically in that corridor. Perak is the missing link (between Penang and Selangor) that must be captured.
“It’s realistic because we were in charge on two occasions, for 11 months in 2008 and 22 months in 2018-20,” he said in reference to two spells when Pakatan held the state government only to be hit by defections.
However, Aziz declined to be drawn into the conversation of who Harapan will push as its candidate for the Perak menteri besar post.
“No one as yet and it’s not very important because the opposing side doesn’t really put up a credible candidate. Anyhow, in the Westminster tradition, normally the leader of the opposition is the head of government in waiting.
“Be that as it may, the idea should be to win first and settle posts later. I think the people out there are aware of our capabilities.”
Cowardice to avoid debate
Aziz also lambasted BN, saying it was expected of the leaders of a government with a poor track record to avoid debates leading up to the election.
“What do you expect from a side that is even unwilling to debate? This is utter incompetence and cowardice. Do you expect this lot to lead the state and the country after GE15 after we have seen the damage they have done to the country?” Aziz said.
Anwar Ibrahim yesterday hit back at caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s reluctance to have debates between the prime minister candidates of political parties and his claim that debating is not a culture in Malaysian politics.
Anwar said it was important for debates to take place, as corrupt leaders are only able to maintain power if they can successfully fool the people.
Aziz, who is the incumbent Tebing Tinggi state assemblyperson, earlier mulled the idea of contesting in both parliamentary and state seats in the forthcoming general election, but he did not spill the beans on what he is expecting now.
“I’m a team player. It’s a matter for the party and Harapan’s top brass to decide. To quote (former UK prime minister) Tony Blair, I would rather be a member of our government, rather than win personally but remain in the opposition.
“Like scoring a goal but being part of the losing side is not better than being on the substitute bench of a winning team,” Aziz added.
He was also not able to comment on overtures made to Harapan for Tawfik Ismail to run in Bagan Datuk and PSM’s Dr Michael Jeyakumar to run in Sungai Siput under Harapan’s banner.
“Offhand, it’s hard to talk about these. We need to go to the ground to see the real sentiment out there.”
We’re positive, trust the voters
Aziz also said that while it was a challenge for Harapan to get its message across, the coalition was not going to be rushed into wholesale changes.
“At the end of the day, winnable faces and issues are what matter. Age alone doesn’t determine everything. There are many young people out there who are confused and indifferent.”
He said while many expected Harapan to do poorly in the rural Malay heartland as well as in rural Sabah and Sarawak, this was not necessarily a given.
“Just wait and see. We have seen improvements in many areas, including the Election Commission, the electoral rules and the social media which are accessible to them. So we’re positive.
“The people have bread and butter issues and the economy that needs to be addressed, but reform of the institutions is also crucial.
“And I believe in the wisdom of the masses. Never belittle that,” Aziz added. - Mkini
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