IPOH, March 16 — Perak Umno is prepared to face saboteurs in any coming elections in view of the formal union between the party and PAS.
Perak Umno chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said sabotage was expected as not all members in both parties accepted the co-operation.
“Due to the cooperation, some seats are given to PAS. Umno members eyeing the seats will end up dejected which will lead to sabotage. The same goes for PAS members. Disappointment of these members will then be taken advantage of by Pakatan Harapan,” he told Malay Mail.
The five-term assemblyman said the cooperation between Umno and PAS has caused distress in PH.
“One Perak DAP leader told me personally he was not comfortable with the tie-up. Not only him, even DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was not comfortable. When there is feeling of being uncomfortable, there will be efforts to break it. They will look for dejected members,” he added.
He said when Umno and PAS decided to “get married”, it had anticipated the winding road ahead.
“Tun also hated DAP last time and DAP too hated him but because of mutual interest, they decided to be together,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Saarani noted that when Dr Mahathir was in Umno, he always told members during the party’s general assembly that there were no permanent enemies or friends in politics.
“I failed to understand that then but I understand it now. In politics we need to be ready for any eventualities,” he added.
On Lim’s statement, which he later retracted, that the union between Umno and PAS was war on non-Malays, Saarani said the finance minister was trying to incite non-Malays against Malays.
“He is afraid as he saw the wave of support for Umno-PAS in Cameron Highlands and Semenyih. He is afraid PH will lose in elections,” he said.
Saarani reminded Lim that DAP used to be good friends with PAS.
“It was PAS which helped DAP to become the Perak state government for the first time in 2008,” he added.
Saarani also said the union between Umno and PAS have given both parties the opportunity to strengthen their machinery.
Saarani said both parties are now gearing up for the 15th general election.
“We are working hard to win the 15th general election. We will not steal people from the other side. However if the other side wants to join us, we will not object,” he said.
In the 59-seat state assembly, PH holds a razor-thin majority of 30 seats—DAP holds 18 seats, Parti Amanah Negara six, PKR four, and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia two. BN holds 25 seats, PAS three seats and one Independent.
Asked to comment on calls by PAS Youth for two former Umno assemblymen—Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin and Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi — to return to BN following the Umno-PAS union, Saarani said he doubted the duo would return.
“If they want to, they are welcomed to come back but I doubt they will. But why are we only looking at them? Members of other PH parties could also cross over,” he said.
He pointed out that in 2009, Datuk Hee Yit Foong, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Jailu crossed over from the other side that led to the fall of the then Pakatan Rakyat government.
“This time, federal politics are also affecting Perak,” he said.
