'Traitors, failures, tricksters' - sparks fly as info chiefs clash

 

PKR Youth information chief Danish Hairudin fired back at his Bersatu counterpart, Harris Idaham Rashid, for suggesting that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim lacked the nerve to call a snap general election.

Harris claimed that this was due to Pakatan Harapan being nearly wiped out in last month’s Sabah election.

Rejecting Harris’ assertion that Anwar and Harapan are losing public support, Danish argued that it is Bersatu that is gripped by panic, having lost both relevance and direction.

Revisiting events in 2020, when Bersatu’s withdrawal led to the collapse of the Harapan government, Danish said: “The party that speaks the loudest about political courage is the same party that brought down the government, betrayed the people’s mandate, and left the country in economic disarray.”

“Now, after failing to govern, they attempt to act as political commentators while pretending to forget their own poor track record,” he added, referring to Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin’s 17-month tenure as prime minister.

Ironically, Bersatu and PN performed no better in the East Malaysian state, matching Harapan’s dismal haul of just one seat in last month’s state polls.

‘Bersatu diverting attention from own failings’

Danish also dismissed Harris’ attempt to link the Sabah election outcome to alleged failures in national leadership as a “cheap trick to cover up Bersatu’s failure to build public confidence not just in Sabah but across the country”.

“As support dwindles, false narratives are created to divert attention,” he said.

He also claimed that the Anwar-led Madani government is now repairing the damage inherited from its predecessors, including Muhyiddin’s “backdoor government”, which he alleged failed to manage the economy, stabilise politics, or safeguard the welfare of the people.

“Today, the economy is growing consistently, inflation is under control, and investor confidence is rising. These are facts, not perceptions,” he added.

Defending Anwar’s decision not to call for early polls, Danish said it reflected responsible leadership that prioritises public interest and economic stability.

“Only leaders who fail to govern see elections as a tool for self-preservation rather than a solemn duty to the nation,” he said.

Danish further challenged his Bersatu counterpart to name the party’s economic achievements during its time in government.

“If there are none, then end the political theatrics and give way to a government that is actually working... The people today are wiser. Slander may be loud, but Bersatu’s record of failure speaks louder,” he added.

Danish also stressed that PKR Youth will continue to defend Anwar’s leadership and the Madani government against attacks that are “hypocritical, vengeful, and unfounded”.

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Alarm in DAP

Earlier, Malaysiakini quoted Harris as claiming that the Sabah election results had rattled Anwar, prompting the prime minister to delay calling the next general election to rebuild his support base.

On Wednesday, Anwar said the general election is “still a long way off” and that his focus remains on implementing reforms.

The Sabah polls nonetheless sounded alarm bells within Harapan, particularly for DAP, which suffered an uncharacteristic rejection from Chinese voters, losing all eight seats it contested.

Following an emergency meeting, DAP’s central leadership announced a six-month timeframe to work with Anwar on implementing reforms - a long-standing clarion call of the coalition, first formed as Barisan Alternatif, for more than two decades. - Mkini