PH leadership line-up avoids single-party domination, says Chong

KUCHING: The Pakatan Harapan ( PH) leadership line-up is a testimony of a leadership by consensus among the component parties, namely Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR), Democratic Action Party ( DAP), Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia ( Bersatu).

Newly- appointed PH vice president Chong Chieng Jen said unlike Barisan Nasional ( BN), which has a clear line of leadership, the leadership line- up in PH will avoid any single component party from dominating the decision-making of the coalition.

“It ( PH) is a leadership by consensus from all the parties. That is why you feel that there is no one clear leader who will dictate. We don’t have one clear leader who dictates everything.

“BN used to have this line-up of leadership in the past but at the end of the day, Umno dominated everyhing,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Chong, who is state DAP chairman, was asked to comment on MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong’s statement that the PH leadership line- up announced last Thursday is like a carriage with many drivers.

Last Thursday, PH had had announced Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the coalition’s de facto leader, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairman and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president.

The deputy presidents are Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu, while Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Salahuddin Ayub and Chong were named as vice presidents.

“BN has a very clear line of leadership but the downside of this clear line of leadership is that one party dominates. Whatever Umno says get carried. Whatever MCA, SUPP, Gerakan and MIC say is at the mercy of Umno, whether they want to adopt (an agenda) or not.

“So long as Umno feels that they don’t want to adopt (a BN component party’s agenda), MCA can cry till the cows come home and the agenda will not get to be adopted,” Chong said.

When asked to comment on his new position, Chong said he personally felt that the existence of a position in the leadership line-up is not that important.

“What is important is what PH stands for in terms of policies. Those policies include abolishing GST (Goods and Services Tax) to lighten the burden of the people and to reform the institutions that have been destroyed by ( Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib ( Tun Razak).

On another note, Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP, did not think that the 14th general election would be held anytime this year.

“No, I think Najib is too scared,” he said when asked to comment on the subject.