Beware of Bersatu’s Hamzah Zainudin on his Sabah ‘shopping spree’, DAP’s Chin Tong warns Pakatan

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 ― DAP national political education director Liew Chin Tong today warned his Pakatan Harapan (PH) Plus coalition colleagues against treating Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as a potential ally.

Liew reminded them that Hamzah is Bersatu secretary-general whom he claimed is enticing lawmakers from Warisan to his side as the Sabah-based party is seen as key to the PH Plus pact’s possible return to Putrajaya.

“The attempted ‘shopping spree’ to buy over politicians by Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin in Sabah with the aim of causing the collapse of the Warisan-led Sabah government should also tell us who the enemies are.

“Shafie Apdal and his party Warisan are actually the lynchpin in our effort to reclaim the mandate,” Liew wrote on his blog, referring to Warisan president and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

The DAP man claimed Hamzah who is also Larut MP had played a role in the collapse of the PH government last February.

“If anyone from Pakatan who treats Hamzah ― one of the plotters of the Sheraton coup ― as a potential ally, he or she is making a fatal mistake,” Liew said.

He pointed out that the DAP, PKR and Amanah collectively have 91 out of the 222 seats in Parliament, which is insufficient to go against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s “hastily cobbled” Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Liew said PH Plus needed to acquire 112 seats, the simple majority needed to form government.

To do so, he said PH needs the support of Warisan and the Bersatu faction aligned with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, calling them the “bridge”.

“With them, the 91 seats are extended to 109, and possibly more. The moment the 109 is firmly consolidated, the parliamentary route to reclaim our mandate would be firmly in place,” Liew said.