GEORGE TOWN: DAP leaders do not see the political alliance of PAS and Umno as a major threat to Pakatan Harapan (PH) in states with many mixed seats.
DAP central executive committee member (CEC) Zairil Khir Johari (pix) said PAS and Umno were political rivals since Independence, except for a brief period when the Islamist party joined Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1972, only to leave in 1977.
“They contested in the same seats in previous general elections so I do not know how the alliance can work,” Zairil said. “They were already allies in the last general election, although not formally, but they lost in the polls.”
He said it was unhealthy for any country as diverse as Malaysia to have a political alliance strictly based on race and religion.
“It gives rise to racialism and this may embolden other parties to form similar alliances.”
Zairil questioned where MCA and MIC stood. “They should voice their concerns and fight for the rights of the minorities. Instead, they prefer to remain in the background.”
His view was shared by fellow CEC member Sim Chee Keong, who said the new political alliance raised three pertinent questions.
“The collaboration sidelined MCA and MIC. This is a worrying message for multiracial Malaysia as we approach the 56th anniversary of Malaysia’s formation,” Sim said.
He said the alliance conveniently ignored corruption, as a number of the pact’s leaders were either investigated or charged for corruption when they were in office.
Sim said PH should provide a truly Malaysian alternative to the narrow Umno-PAS alliance.
According to the two leaders, the alliance may scare away rather than woo voters in Penang. In the last polls, both Umno and PAS won only three state and two parliament seats.
There were a total of 45 state seats, of which 20 have high Malay voters, but Umno and PAS only won three seats in GE14.
