DAP, PKR welcome ceasefire proposal from PAS, but...
DAP and PKR both said they welcomed PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's urging for a ceasefire among the opposition.
However, Amanah was a bit more wary, questioning if this was Tuan Ibrahim's personal stance or the party's official stance.
DAP and PKR both said they welcomed PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's urging for a ceasefire among the opposition parties.
However, Amanah was a bit more wary, questioning if this was Tuan Ibrahim's personal position, or the party's official stance.
DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke and PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli both said they viewed Tuan Ibrahim's statement positively.
"Probably, PAS has realised that disunity among the opposition (parties) will only benefit Umno. Pakatan Harapan will discuss this development and we will take it from there," Loke told Malaysiakini when contacted today.
Meanwhile, Rafizi said that he agreed that a ceasefire was needed among the opposition parties as soon as possible.
"If this view could be translated into a starting point for further discussions among the opposition parties in our fight against BN, then that is the best gift to the rakyat of late.
"Insya Allah, I will wait for further instructions from PKR president and opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on the efforts to find the starting point," he said in a Facebook post.
Pakatan Harapan chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah pointed out that multi-cornered fights like what happened in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections must be avoided as they only gave BN the advantage.
As such, the coalition is always open to discussion with any party, he said, adding that this had been decided in the last presidential meeting.
"We don't normally discuss these things openly and Tuan Ibrahim knows who to approach to negotiate.
"We don't have to announce. I already know who to contact, we both do," he said coyly, when contacted by Malaysiakini.
Cautious reaction
While the response from PKR and DAP was welcoming, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub was more cautious about Tuan Ibrahim's statement.
"I want to know whether this is a statement from Tuan Ibrahim or an official statement from the party (PAS).
"I don't see PAS being united in its wish for the opposition to get rid of BN, because its spiritual adviser and the top leadership had said that they don't want to attack BN-Umno.
"If this is a personal statement, then Amanah is not interested in discussing anything. If PAS is the one that released the official statement, then we will see what is being offered," Salahuddin said.
Amanah communications director Khalid Samad shared similar sentiments, asking PAS to decide its stance "once and for all" among its top leaders.
He also pointed out that the coalition had always been united against BN and that only PAS is not.
"I suggest that PAS hold a meeting among its top leaders and decide once and for all who is friend and who is foe, and not waver after that. Be consistent.
"If it is then decided that BN is the enemy, then work together with us, and no more backstabbing. Concentrate on fighting BN.
"If it is decided otherwise, then go and work with BN and do not do any more U-turns.
"God save us all from the leadership of the confused," he said.
Earlier today, Tuan Ibrahim had called for a ceasefire among opposition parties, urging for their guns to be trained on Umno-BN instead.
He said that opposition parties must compromise without sacrificing their core ideals in order to focus on the “real enemy”, and warned that they risked defeat in the next general election if they could not reach an understanding.
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