KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah DAP assemblyman has rocked the Pakatan Harapan boat even further, calling for a new opposition leader to replace PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, days after Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal had made a similar call.
Luyang rep Phoong Jin Zhe noted that when Anwar did not deliver on his previous claim of having the numbers to form the government, many questioned and poked fun at PH’s credibility.
“The opposition leader’s so-called ‘strong, formidable and convincing’ majority did not turn up and the idea of building a coalition with Umno has also been doubted by many,” said the Sabah DAP youth chief, in a statement here today.
“Racial politics is worsening and polarising our society and the budget which was a great disappointment to the people was not defeated.
“The faith of the people towards PH is faltering after these incidents. The opposition leader has been mocked as ‘the boy who cried wolf’. Senior politicians lying for power and extreme racial and religious comments have also been worsening lately.
“If we are sincere in rebuilding New Malaysia 2.0, we must usher in new politics now.”
He added that PH and the opposition camp will not only lose their supporters but also the younger generation who aspired for a better future if they were unable to come to a solution.
Phoong said PH urgently needed a breakthrough and must achieve a political reset, as stated by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu earlier today.
“New leaders, new policies, a new mindset, a fresh team and together we can build the New Malaysia 2.0.
Upko president calls on Anwar to form shadow cabinet
To add fuel to the fire, Upko president and Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau has also told Anwar to give up on the “numbers-oriented” politics to regain power and concentrate instead on the coalition’s policies.
Tangau called on Anwar to form a shadow cabinet to offer Malaysians concrete policy ideas on various issues.
He said PH Plus must remodel itself, adding the coalition must boldly admit its core strategic mistake since February – which was focusing on recapturing federal power with defections from the opposite camp.
“This has prevented PH Plus from refining and building on its policy agenda and capitalising on a talent pool of 20 former ministers and 19 former deputy ministers and many others who had served as ministers during (the previous) Barisan Nasional reign.
“Worst, as the Malay proverb goes, ‘yang dikejar tak dapat, yang dikendong berciciran’ (what is being pursued is not achieved while losing what is already in possession). The goal of recapturing power has split PH even further.
“Our top leaders fight over who should be the next prime minister before it is anywhere near reality,” Tangau said.
Meanwhile, a Parti Warisan Sabah leader has dismissed the contention that the party is causing a rift within Pakatan Harapan.
The party’s Wirawati Chief, Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, said it instead was a wake-up call for the opposition bloc in Malaysia to strengthen itself by having a more credible leadership.
“We are obliged to voice out concerns over the overall performance of the opposition bloc in the country. The voters thinks that the top leadership of the opposition block lacks credibility, then obviously all of us will suffer.
She said that the opposition chief in Malaysia should not only focus on taking over the Government or becoming a Prime Minister but must strive to unite and create a new Malaysia.
“Unfortunately, we no longer see the enthusiasm in our current opposition chief that he once had,” she said.