PAS’s claim to regain Putrajaya a warning to Bersatu, says Puad

 

Puad Zarkashi said without PAS, which has 43 parliamentary seats, Bersatu would not have won the 18 seats they have now. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An Umno leader says that PAS’s claim that it will once again be part of the federal government was a warning to Bersatu to stop acting as “big brother” in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said the claim made by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man could be indicative that the Muhyiddin-led coalition is facing internal problems.

He said the issues within PN could possibly stem from PAS’s decision to appoint former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an adviser to the four states led by the Islamic party, instead of Muhyiddin.

“The claim by Bersatu’s Kuala Perlis assemblyman (Abu Bakar Hamzah) that there’s unrest in Perlis is, in fact, internal strife within PN related to power-sharing in the state.

“Tuan Ibrahim was taunting Bersatu, with its 18 parliamentary seats, that PAS, with 43 seats, could be part of this government.

“Without PAS, Bersatu would not have won the parliamentary seats they have now,” Puad told FMT.

However, he believed that PAS’s desire to be in Putrajaya might be nothing more than a “daydream” because it would mean that the Islamic party would have to join the unity government.

“There would be no other way. (For PAS to become the government) it would take all Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs to leave the unity government, as well as at least 10 MPs from Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Harapan (PH) willing to resign from their parties and recontest their seats.

“That’s political suicide,” the Johor state assemblyman for Rengit said.

Meanwhile, Melaka DAP vice-chairman Khoo Poay Tiong said Tuan Ibrahim’s remarks were probably meant to boost the morale of PN’s supporters and MPs who now no longer enjoy the privileges that come with being in government, having held Putrajaya for about 30 months prior to the dissolution of Parliament last year.

He cited the example of Bersatu’s Kuala Kangsar MP Iskandar Dzulkarnain who declared his support for Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership after considering the urgent need to address the rising cost of living in his constituency.

“PAS is worried (more of) its MPs would switch sides, that’s why Tuan Ibrahim made those remarks,” the Kota Melaka MP said. - FMT