KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 ― Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is oblivious about the truth in calling on the opposition to have one party, one symbol and one manifesto.

Salleh said the 91-year-old former prime minister seemed oblivious about the truth concerning PAS, which was sidelined by the opposition coalition after it went against the DAP.

He questioned Mahathir’s quest for a united opposition with one symbol and manifesto as the matter had beset them since 1999 and albeit after 17 years, they still could not get it done.

"Talking about it is simple. Doing it is another thing altogether. The opposition is not united on many things, so how can it come to an agreement on one party, one symbol, one manifesto?

"PAS will never leave its ‘bulan’ (moon symbol) and neither will DAP leave its ‘rocket’ (symbol). That is the identity of each individual party. To ask every party to discard its traditional symbol and replace it with a common symbol is something they have been talking about but have never done in the last 17 years,” he posted on his blog. 

Salleh alluded that the opposition pact comprising Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), PKR, DAP and Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara) all had separate agendas.

He elaborated that PPBM was about removing Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister and replacing him with Mahathir’s proxy, PKR was about freeing Anwar Ibrahim from jail and making him Prime Minister, while Amanah was a party of disgruntled PAS members who tried but failed to oust party president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

"DAP, on the other hand, is a party that wants to see the emergence of a Malaysian Malaysia, which most Malays, even those in the opposition, cannot accept,” he said.

On a common manifesto, he said it was another problem for the opposition as DAP wanted a secular state for the country but on the other hand PAS wanted an Islamic State.

He questioned whether PKR, Amanah and PPBM; and even PAS; were prepared to accept DAP’s Secular State.

"So that would mean, as usual, other than the common manifesto, each party would also have its individual manifestos and even different manifestos for each state, as in the past,” he said.

On Dr Mahathir’s recent criticism of PAS saying that the Islamic party has ‘makan dedak’ (been bought over) for opposing the opposition, Salleh said: "What Mahathir fails to see is that PAS did not leave Pakatan Rakyat but DAP closed down Pakatan Rakyat so that PAS could be kicked out of the opposition coalition ― and when they formed Pakatan Harapan PAS was not invited to join”.

He also likened Dr Mahathir’s assault on PAS to former United States President George Bush Senior’s doctrine of "if you are not with me then you are against me” to gain support to wage war against Iraq, which he said had since left the entire Middle East. ― Bernama