KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 18 — Some Opposition MPs, including those from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, today voiced their rejection of wresting federal power from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) at all costs.
The stance of the five MPs from DAP, Parti Warisan Sabah, PKR and an independent diverge from other senior Opposition lawmakers who have explored the possibility of working with political foe Umno against common enemy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his Bersatu-led PN coalition.
“A year has passed by after the painful betrayal in the Sheraton Move. We want to move forward. We do not have a shortage of talent amongst Opposition MPs.
“We want the Opposition leadership to be focused on policies that will win the trust and hearts of Malaysians and lead us into victory in the coming elections,” Ramkarpal Singh, Hannah Yeoh, Datuk Darell Leiking, Maria Chin Abdullah and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said in a joint statement.
The five MPs said the Opposition leadership has wasted enough time arguing about who holds the majority support in Parliament and who should be prime minister.
They added that any possible cooperation between rival political parties must be based on just one principle — having a reformed mindset and a commitment to implement those reforms.
“Any coalition to be formed must have a noble agenda and a shared value system for it to be sustainable. It is our belief that the existing ‘Kluster Mahkamah’ and even Umno today do not possess the above agenda and values to rebuild Malaysia,” they said.
The five MPs said Malaysia has to be rebuilt from scratch, claiming that the PN government lacks strong foundations for reform.
“We need to learn from the sandcastles built by this Perikatan Nasional government that has no strong foundation and is being held at ransom with constant threats and double-minded resolutions of withdrawal of support from Umno. We shall not be like them.
“The road to Putrajaya must not be obtained at all costs,” they said.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is also PKR president told a news conference on March 16 that talks of a potential PH partnership with Umno for the 15th general election are at a very early stage, even as he maintained that he has an “adequate” number of support in the Dewan Rakyat to form government.
