SO, WHO’S THE REAL PAKATAN BOSS?
Pact has ‘three captains’ to lead opposition, says Rahman
OPPOSITION parties are incapable of making a decision. This can be seen from their failure to decide who among them will lead the people, said Barisan Nasional strategic communications director Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
“You see, until now they can’t come to a decision and announce who is the leader to the people. The people want to know who is the boss.
“During (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure as prime minister, he had total power, but was also challenged by his then deputy (Anwar).
“Even when Dr Mahathir was in total control, the party was not stable. And now they have three ‘captains’,” he said.
He said the pact’s new structure would also allow Barisan Nasional to scrutinise its decisions on national issues.
“We know that Pakatan Harapan leaders have conflicting views on various issues. Now that they are under one roof, they must have unanimous decision. They cannot just say agree to disagree.”
Rahman, who is the
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the opposition parties’ move to scrap the Goods and Services Tax (GST) within 100 days, if they won the next general election, was rhetorical and populist.
“For example, if they want to abolish GST, they must explain to the people how to cover the budget deficit and how to fund all the government’s ongoing infrastructure projects. It is easier said than done,” he said after attending the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju) Hari Raya Open House yesterday.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said the absence of a DAP leader in the top three positions of the new opposition pact, raises many questions.
“Why was DAP not given any one of the top positions when the party has the most number of members of parliament in the coalition?
“Was DAP sidelined, or was the line-up (deliberately formed) to make it look like the coalition is dominated by Malays?” he asked in a blog post yesterday.
Salleh also questioned who, among the top three leaders, would have the final say in making a decision, which he said Pakatan Harapan had failed to mention.
Salleh, who is also Umno treasurer, said, “Instead of just making promises, it would be better for the opposition pact to name its prime minister-designate first.
“It was strange for the chairman to answer that they will announce the eighth prime minister first, and decide on the seventh prime minister later.”
In Kota Baru, Umno Information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the newly announced leadership of Pakatan Harapan was just an effort by the opposition to boost its image before the 14th General Election (GE14).
He said what they were trying to do was to hide the fact that the opposition pact was controlled by DAP.
“With the GE14 drawing closer, they are in a mess. They have come out with a list of leaders to try to hide the real situation — being under the thumb of DAP.”
Annuar was speaking after participating in the Ketereh-level 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games Torch Run here yesterday.
Annuar, who is Ketereh MP, added that it was not a solid pact as the line-up was not elected or based on consensus.
Meanwhile, Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said here the opposition pact’s new leadership line-up was fragile and doubtful.
He said DAP had not been given any top posts.
“I was shocked as DAP has 37 parliamentary seats, Parti Keadilan Rakyat 28, while Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) only has one seat. Ironically, the (Pakatan Harapan) chairman comes from PPBM and not DAP.”
Umno Youth executive council member Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin questioned the pact’s decision to place three big names in its top leadership.
“Who has more authority in making a decision… the de facto leader, chairman or the president? They have been conducting meetings for months and in the end, they appointed three ‘heads’ to lead Pakatan Harapan?”
In a press conference on Thursday night, Pakatan Harapan announced its new leadership lineup led by PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir as its chairman, PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the de facto leader and PKR’s Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of PPBM, Lim Guan Eng (DAP) and Mohamad Sabu (Amanah) have been named as deputy presidents. Additional reporting by Fairuz Mohd Shahar