DAP rep wants Anwar to step down after Malacca polls
A DAP lawmaker has urged Anwar Ibrahim to step down as the opposition leader and take a back seat following Pakatan Harapan’s defeat in the recently concluded Malacca state election.
Taking to Facebook, DAP’s Bilut assemblyperson Lee Chin Chen said the opposition coalition should explore new directions and find a new consensus as soon as possible.
Failing that...
A DAP lawmaker has urged Anwar Ibrahim to step down as the opposition leader and take a back seat following Pakatan Harapan’s defeat in the recently concluded Malacca state election.
Taking to Facebook, DAP’s Bilut assemblyperson Lee Chin Chen said the opposition coalition should explore new directions and find a new consensus as soon as possible.
Failing that, he said, DAP must consider the possibility of quitting Harapan.
"Allow me to make my point clear first: I hope Anwar will relinquish the leadership baton, take a back seat and assist the new generation of successors to reach new heights," he said.
"I call on Anwar to step down as the opposition leader so that Harapan can pick a new successor. Let us explore our new direction and consensus as well as resisting the religious conservative of the Malay right-wing alliance," Lee (above) said.
"If there is no hope for Harapan to reset itself, the DAP leadership must consider quitting the coalition and look for other cooperation to ensure the country has a loyal opposition party which defends the diversity and politics of secularism," he said.
"Prior to this, Harapan has been obsessed with the numbers game for over one year. If we fail to put a stop to it after the Malacca polls defeat and review our direction, if we continue to blindly compare ourselves with the Malay political parties, we will only repeat the defeat in Malacca polls."
He said the Malacca state election was a blow to Harapan, which won only five out of 28 state seats contested. Anwar’s PKR lost all 11 seats it contested.
Dancing with 'frogs'
The state polls saw a landslide victory for BN, which won 21 seats and secured a two-thirds majority. Bersatu only picked up two seats while its PN coalition partners PAS and Gerakan came up empty.
"Harapan should not have danced with the four 'frogs' and allowed them to contest under our ticket, nor should we have ridiculed the voters in order to recruit them," said Lee, who is also Pahang DAP secretary.
This is because, he said, Harapan not only pledged to push for an anti-hopping law but also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He was referring to the four former state assemblypersons who withdrew their support for then chief minister Sulaiman Md Ali, prompting the dissolution of the Malacca state legislative assembly in October.
"Without the state polls, we could gear up for the next election with the 11 state seats we held initially. Harapan not only lost six seats but it was criticised as both PKR and Amanah recruited the defectors," he said.
He said this had disillusioned Chinese voters, who initially supported Harapan but were now too disappointed to vote, particularly in mixed seats.
Unreasonable to only blame Anwar
In an immediate reaction, PKR Youth secretary Syukri Razab expressed hope that Lee's view was a personal opinion not reflective of DAP's stand, although he noted DAP's political education director Liew Chin Tong had yesterday also voiced a similar sentiment.
"What is annoying about YB Bilut's statement is his attempt to single out Anwar Ibrahim as the individual responsible for Harapan's losses in Malacca.
"Whereas all decisions made prior to the polls were collectively decided in Harapan official meetings," he said.
In urging Lee to learn to accept the consequences of a collective decision, Syukri claimed the statement only reaffirms a perception that DAP's friendship was offered with an ulterior motive.
"When Anwar Ibrahim was an icon for Malays rising, the DAP idolised and praised his name.
"But when Harapan was tested with a loss in Malacca, in an instant Anwar Ibrahim became a worthless individual," claimed Syukri, who also challenged Lee to name Anwar's replacement as the opposition leader.
Similarly, PKR Youth vice-chief Thiban Subramaniam said Lee's statement would only make the situation worse rather than be a solution for Harapan.
He also said it would be unfair and unreasonable for Lee to pin all the blame on Anwar for Harapan's collective decision.
"If by losing one state election there is an immediate threat to leave Harapan, it is as if there is an existing plot to form a new coalition without PKR.
"If that is what is wanted by the DAP's leadership, then they can take PKR out of Harapan," he said.
Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador also defended Anwar against the resignation call, stating that the loss should not be shouldered by only one individual.
"I urge DAP's top leadership to take note of the claim by their elected representative who is seen to be trying to disrupt the spirit of unity and harmony within Harapan," said Farhash, who is also Anwar's political secretary.
"May the Harapan presidential council leaders continue to maintain a mature organisational discipline and remain committed to the cause.
"It must also be reminded that an organisational decision is our collective responsibility," he added.
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