GE14 | PAS should have fielded more candidates against DAP in Penang since the Islamic party is always complaining that the former is "cruel", said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

"Here, we are told by our friends in PAS that DAP is cruel and marginalises the Malays," he reminded the 700-odd crowd, who sat on newspapers on the grass, and on their motorcycles and bicycles beyond the fence.

"But they (PAS) did not field anyone in Air Putih state or Bagan parliamentary seat where caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng is contesting," Saifuddin said.

"Instead, PAS has only fielded one candidate in Sungai Pinang against the DAP," added Saifuddin at a ceramah in Permatang Pauh, to launch PKR's operations centre for the coming national polls (GE14).

Among the speakers at the ceramah last night were PKR candidates Nurul Izzah Anwar (Permatang Pauh), Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya), Norlela Ariffin (Penanti) and Faiz Fadzil (Permatang Pasir).

Saifuddin was referring to the state PAS fielding only one candidate against DAP in Sungai Pinang, as opposed to the party clashing with DAP in almost every seat in Johor. 

Yesterday, PAS announced that its' ally in Gagasan Sejahtera, Parti Cinta Malaysia, will field its deputy president Huan Cheng Guan in Bagan and party member R Manikandan in Air Putih.

PAS severed ties with PKR last year, and with DAP in 2013, after the 2013 national polls over the tabling of "hudud" law in Parliament.

Progressive PAS leaders left the party in 2016 and formed Amanah, which is now part of opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, led by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Harapan walks the talk

Meanwhile, Saifuddin said that Harapan walks the talk by fielding candidates against BN, even in the latter's strongholds, after accusing the coalition of "cruelty". 

"We tell the people Umno/BN are cruel, so let's contest all seats against its candidates.

"So we field our candidates against caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in Pekan, in Bagan Datok against caretaker deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in Sembrong against caretaker defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Rembau, to face caretaker youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

"We just do not know where Umno Wanita chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil is going to contest but once we know, we will fight her anywhere," he said, to laughter from the crowd.