Lukewarm reception for Selangor Madani event, say divisional chiefs

 

Only a handful of leaders including Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and PKR vice-president Amirudin Shari were at the launch of the Selangor Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional election machinery. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: There was only a lukewarm turnout for a Selangor election event by Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional last night, which was notable due to the absence of party bigwigs, say two divisional leaders.

They did not say how many people turned up nor how many were expected. However, Selangor PH election director Yahya Mat Shari told FMT that over 4,000 people were at the launch of the coalition partners’ election machinery in Selangor.

A PKR leader who asked to remain anonymous said the party had expected a bigger turnout as the Mega Madani tour event was the first gathering in Selangor for the partners in the unity government.

“Maybe it is because many found out before the event that Anwar and Zahid would not be attending,” the PKR source told FMT, referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“There weren’t many reasons for the crowd to show up.”

Malaysiakini said checks with Zahid’s office revealed that the Umno president was not scheduled to attend the programme.

A spokesman for the Selangor menteri besar said Anwar, who is PKR president, was unable to turn up as he had to attend to another last-minute matter.

Astro Awani quoted DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook as saying earlier today that he had to skip the event as he was feeling unwell.

Among the coalition leaders who attended the event were Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, PKR vice-president Amirudin Shari, DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo and PKR Youth chief Adam Adli.

An Umno division leader blamed the poor turnout on an outburst by DAP stalwart Tony Pua, the former MP for Damansara.

The source said Pua’s remarks would only earn the ire of the Umno grassroots. “I can assure you that Umno supporters won’t be showing up much for future PH ceramahs until we get an open apology from DAP.”

At a DAP fundraising dinner on Friday night, Pua said PH supporters must prove that “a multiracial party that is clean and not corrupt” could do better “than corrupt coalitions (sic) like Barisan Nasional, Umno and Bersatu”.

The comment drew criticisms from both Umno and DAP, with the latter saying it was uncalled for.

Selangor Umno deputy chairman Johan Aziz said BN would not be participating in the Mega Madani Selangor Tour as their PH counterparts had not approached them on any discussions about the event. He insisted that the BN absence was not a boycott. - FMT