YOURSAY | 'PKR should not take for granted the voters' sentiment, which can swing against Harapan.'

Wan Azizah or Nurul should have vacated their seat for Anwar – Ambiga

Abasir: Former Bersih chief Ambiga Sreenevasan is correct in denouncing the crafty engineering of the Port Dickson by-election for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's sake.

If mother and daughter have decided that they cannot betray those who had voted for them by stepping down from the seat, and had convinced the head of their household of the same, it is curious why they (as a family) actually encouraged, coaxed, cajoled or persuaded Port Dickson incumbent Danyal Balagopal Abdullah to do so.

And if their persuasion should include promises that would be fulfilled after Anwar becomes prime minister, then would this not be a “buy-election”?

In any case, Danyal has sullied his name - he cannot be trusted to keep his word and he has successfully projected himself to be nothing more than a willing political pawn in the worst sense of the term.

Dont Just Talk: Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah should have vacated the Permatang Pauh seat for her father, in a constituency where he had started his political career.

PKR should not take for granted the voters' sentiment, which can swing against Pakatan Harapan should PKR leaders keep washing their dirty linens in public, especially coming from vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who is getting more arrogant of late.

Pemerhati Bebas: I totally agree with Ambiga. With due respect to Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, she earlier on had admitted that she is there merely to keep the seat warm for her husband. Now that the time has come, she should step aside and keep her pledge to make way for Anwar.

Three MPs from one family does not go down well with Joe Public. This will become a liability, not just for PKR but Harapan as well. (Footnote: BN please revamp quickly, as we need a viable alternative to choose in the next general election).

Chriskwan-Sabah: What is the logic, Ambiga? Why is it the wife or the daughter should vacate their seat for Anwar? They were elected by the rakyat, not appointed by Mahathir or anybody. They are there in their own right.

But if someone had offered his or her seat, Anwar is free to accept, no strings attached. It’s the freedom of choice.

Pakcik Am: Is Ambiga supporting discrimination against Wan Azizah and Nurul Iszah because they are Anwar's relatives? Both of them are persons of standing in their own right.

NewMsian: There's clearly nepotism here when Anwar has to force out a lesser known MP to enter Parliament when he could easily have his daughter's seat. Obviously, the deal is for the short-changed Danyal to be made a senator and deputy minister in due course.

Is this what we bargained for when we voted in Harapan to replace BN? The way that Anwar rides roughshod over other key leaders in the party by keeping his inner circle in the loop and leaving out other key leaders in this by-election is not good for PKR and Harapan.

It's a crony-based approach in running PKR. By extension, we know that this will also happen to Harapan in due course. I'm very disappointed that Anwar has not learned his lesson from his Umno days when he used Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to push former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to hand over power.

He's dying for the day he is made PM, and to be adulated by the masses. I believe that the almighty God will once again strip Anwar of the opportunity to lead Malaysia. He has not shown himself worthy of leading our country at all.

Gerard Lourdesamy: People don't seem to understand that Anwar only wants to be an MP for now, and not the DPM.

If Wan Azizah had vacated her seat, who is supposed to be the DPM? Party deputy Azmin Ali? The succession plan agreed to by all Harapan parties was that Mahathir will be PM for the next two to three years before Anwar takes over.

In the interim, Wan Azizah will be the DPM. If Anwar becomes the DPM straight away, there is bound to be friction with Mahathir since they do not agree on many things.

Anwar wants to give Mahathir maximum space and leeway to carry out his plans to save the economy and reform our institutions before he steps down.

Nurul could have sacrificed her seat, but she has been a three-term MP with tremendous potential and is well loved by the rakyat. If she had stepped down, she would not be allowed to contest in a parliamentary election for the next five years.

Once Anwar becomes PM, Wan Azizah would step down as DPM and MP. Who gets selected for Pandan is up to PKR. As for Nurul Izzah, her father has made it clear that she will not be appointed to the cabinet while he is the PM.

Malaysian-United: I'd give Anwar and family the benefit of the doubt at this point. There may be some strategic reasons why neither Wan Azizah nor Nurul Izzah is giving up their seats. I'd expect Wan Azizah to quit as MP and DPM only after Anwar comes on board.

I suspect Wan Azizah is not budging at the moment as her MP seat is like a form of insurance in case Anwar doesn't make it to Parliament. Logically speaking, if Anwar eventually becomes PM, it is unlikely Wan Azizah would remain the DPM.

The situation will be too bizarre, so I think Wan Azizah would give up her DPM’s post and MP seat provided Anwar returns to Parliament. Perhaps her seat will be vacated for Rafizi. Nurul will stay put as MP because she's still young and has a long way to go.

Clongviews: Hopefully, this practice of calling by-elections to replace another leader will stop. This reminds the rakyat of the "Kajang Move".

Harapan, especially PKR, should quickly settle down to serious work instead of spending time politicking. Calling internal squabbles 'democracy' is not a valid excuse.

Anonymous_f0124ca6: Two wrongs don’t make a right. There is nothing magical or even logical as regards to who should have vacated his or her seat.

It was a decision of political expediency and the actors have to just accept the consequences of their decision and explain it to the best of their convictions.

The country is in a hurry to shed its past scourge. If the decision is seen to be faulty, then punish them. But why should Wan Azizah and Nurul be expected to pay the price for getting Anwar in?

They have done and sacrificed far more than that they should have.

Bob The Builder: Whatever it is, it is already done, so let us just move forward to the next step and get Anwar into Parliament.

Should there be any cocky agenda behind this move, the rakyat will know what to do in GE15.

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