PKR to DAP: Don't win the battle but lose the war
Following the stalemate over seat allocation among Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties in several states, a PKR youth leader has reminded DAP not to "win the battle but lose the war".
Following the stalemate over seat allocation among Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties in several states, a PKR youth leader has reminded DAP not to "win the battle but lose the war".
In a statement issued today, PKR national youth vice-chief Chan Ming Kai stressed that the next general election is a critical war for Pakatan which should be fought collectively by all coalition parties.
"Therefore, the focus should not be individual constituencies, but the overall deployment.
"For example, if PAS contests too many seats, MCA would use the issue of Islamic state to intimidate the Chinese voters from changing the government, and the same concept applies to DAP.
“If DAP increases its seats, Umno would attack other coalition parties as DAP's stooge and capture the Malay votes," he argued.
Should Pakatan manage to secure Chinese-majority constituencies but loses the support of the Malay electorate, Chan said, all the Chinese lawmakers in the coalition would become the opposition, repeating the history of 1969 and 1990 general elections.
"If that is the scenario, what's the meaning of winning only individual constituencies?" he asked.
Chan, who is also Perak PKR deputy election director, pointed out that the multi-racial image of his party has an advantage against the racial politics of BN.
"If we field Chinese candidates from PKR, we could maintain Chinese political power while keeping the support of Malay voters. Umno's racial card is less detrimental to PKR's multi-racial image. We can win both the battle and the war!"
PKR's 'edge'
Chan also dismissed the demand by Johor DAP to extend its territory to constituencies in the state whose Chinese voters make up less than 70 percent of the electorate.
"In Perak, DAP also wants to contest in all constituencies with more than 70 percent Chinese voters. They want all the seats except those contested by Umno, and this attitude has been attacked by MCA as 'pitting Chinese against Chinese'.
"DAP should consider attacking the master rather than the bodyguards," he said.
Chan, who is also Simpang Pulai state assemblyperson, also cited the example of the Sarawak state election in which DAP won most of the Chinese-majority seats, while Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) led by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud remained intact, having won all of the 35 seats it contested.
"Now the Chinese in peninsula are pondering. They do not want to increase the majority of Pakatan in Chinese-majority seats while allowing Umno to recapture the Malay votes and form the government."
Therefore, Chan urged, DAP should put the common interests of Pakatan as a priority and contain its arrogance.
"Don't win the battle and lose the war!" he exclaimed.
'Abide gag order'
Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau, who is also the Johor state assembly opposition leader, last week openly criticised PKR for refusing to concede some of its seats to DAP in order for the party to contest an equal share of the parliamentary seats in Johor.
His hard-hitting remarks has sparked a battle of words between the two parties.
Meanwhile, in a statement this evening, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reminded Pakatan leaders to abide by the coalition's gag order.
"I would like to mention that the Pakatan presidential council have issued a directive to the leaders of all parties that the seat negotiation affairs are not to be discussed openly.
"I advise all leaders in PKR, PAS and DAP Johor and other states to abide by the directive issued by the Pakatan presidential council, to respect and accept the concept of Pakatan cooperation that emphasizes on mutual respect," he said.
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