20-seat claim just Muhyiddin’s daydream, says PKR sec-gen

 

Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, himself a Penang assemblyman, says Pakatan Harapan has done enough to convince voters of its clean and corruption free leadership.

PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin was daydreaming in claiming that PN had nearly 20 state assembly seats in the bag ahead of the coming elections, says PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Saifuddin, himself a Penang assemblyman, told FMT he felt Muhyiddin knew his comments were mere propaganda. Saifuddin cast doubt over whether the PN chief even believed them himself.

“Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with daydreaming like Muhyiddin. However, this raises the question of how he plans to convince the people of Penang,” Saifuddin said.

He said the federal government under Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership had done enough to sway voters through efforts to improve the economy through a clean and corruption-free administration.

On PN’s prospects in the state elections, Saifuddin said that the multi-racial Gerakan party, touted by some as key to PN’s success in Penang, was incapable of doing anything besides asking its coalition ally PAS to apologise for its “political blunders”.

Recently, Penang Gerakan demanded that Kuantan MP Wan Razali Wan Nor of PAS make an apology for remarks made about nurses’ “tight outfits”.

Earlier today, Muhyiddin had urged the PN leadership in Penang to work harder toward securing an upset in the state polls. He claimed a majority in the 40-seat state assembly was within the coalition’s reach despite acknowledging the challenges it will face to get there.

At the last state elections, held concurrently with parliamentary elections in 2018, Pakatan Harapan won 37 state seats, while Barisan Nasional won two and PAS one. PAS is now a member of PN.

Bersatu, which was then with PH, won four seats but saw the seats were vacated in March in accordance with Penang’s anti-hopping legislation. - FMT