PAKATAN LUCKY IF IT CAN EVEN RETAIN PENANG, SAYS NAJIB’S EX-AIDE – WHILE MCA’S KA SIONG, WHO PREVIOUSLY DENIED INVOLVEMENT IN SD PLOT AGAINST ZAHID BUT WAS FOUND LYING, NOW DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PLOT TO OVERTHROW ANWAR & UNITY GOVT
‘Green wave’ will thwart multiracial Penang govt, says analyst
Oh Ei Sun says Pakatan Harapan should count itself lucky if it retains power in Penang.
GEORGE TOWN: It will be difficult for Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional to form a multiracial state government in Penang as envisioned by Penang PH chief Chow Kon Yeow, say political analysts.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the “green wave” of support for Perikatan Nasional was likely to hand the coalition most or even all of the Malay-based seats.
Another analyst, Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, said Chow’s vision would be hampered by a severely weakened Umno, which was unlikely to deliver the Malay seats needed to form a multiracial state government.
The “green wave” refers to the unexpected gains made by PN in the 2022 general election when it wrested the parliamentary seats of Kepala Batas and Permatang Pauh from BN and PH, respectively.
DAP has led the state government for three terms since 2008.
In the Penang state assembly, PH holds 33 seats through DAP (19), PKR (12) and Amanah (2) while BN has two seats through Umno. The sole opposition member is from PAS. Four seats have been declared vacant.
Last month, a PN insider told FMT the coalition may contest 15 seats, of which 14 are Malay-majority.
On Saturday, Chow said PH and BN have set out to win as many state assembly seats as possible to ensure that Penang has a multiracial government. FMT
More Malay candidates from DAP
Oh said DAP should consider fielding more Malay candidates in its strongholds if it wants to secure the formation of a multiracial PH-BN state government.
He said the party should not worry about a backlash from supporters because its diehard supporters would vote solely on the party logo “and nothing else”.
Asked whether such a move would be boycotted by incumbents, Oh said “they can only count themselves as being unlucky”.
“If they dare come out as independents, they should consider their deposits forfeited the moment they put them up (during nomination day),” he said.
Azeem, however, said it would be “quite awkward” for the party to field more Malay candidates in Penang as Chinese seats have always been its political base.
“Generally, DAP has always fielded Chinese candidates in Chinese- majority seats although it has made exceptions to the rule with (Seri Delima assemblyman) Syerleena Abdul Rashid and (Tanjung Bungah assemblyman) Zairil Khir Johari,” he told FMT.
Besides Penang, state elections are also due to be held this year in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. FMT
Wee denies knowledge of plot to topple Anwar’s unity govt
MCA president Wee Ka Siong slams a report by a news portal, saying it amounts to ‘rumour mongering’.
PETALING JAYA: MCA president Wee Ka Siong has dismissed claims that he is part of a group of “rogue” MPs who are attempting to topple Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Earlier today, news portal The Vibes named Wee as one of 10 Barisan Nasional MPs who could possibly be involved in an alleged scheme alongside Perikatan Nasional (PN) to oust Anwar.
“A news portal has seen fit for reasons of their own to write ‘source stories’ alleging ‘fresh attempts’ at toppling the unity government headed by Anwar.
“Anyone else may choose to follow their conscience in writing baseless reports that amount to rumour mongering.
“However, as far as I, as MCA president, and my party are concerned, we have no knowledge of such attempts to unseat the current government.
“Nor would we support such a move that requires any elected MP to ‘sacrifice’ their seats to force by-elections,” Wee said in a statement on Facebook.
Besides Wee, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu had also rubbished the claims, according to a Malaysiakini report.
“Honestly, I have not heard of any such plan. (The allegation) is baseless.
“There are no such negotiations on this matter. There have been no talks with BN MPs nor any other MPs in the government bloc as well,” the PN leader said.
He added that he was in contact with Bersatu president and PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin every day.
“He (Muhyiddin) has been telling us to work the ground and get the party machinery moving (to face the state elections),” Faizal said.
The Vibes earlier reported that there is a fresh plot to unseat Anwar, involving forced by-elections.
It claimed that the plan is being manoeuvred and supported by Muhyiddin and other coalition bigwigs.
The report also claimed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin will fund the plot as Bersatu’s bank accounts were frozen. fmt
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