PAS rally shift shows lack of clear policy direction - Harapan Youth chief

Summary

• Harapan Youth pans PAS Youth’s rally shift from protesting the Urban Renewal Act to targeting PM Anwar Ibrahim.

• Woo Kah Leong says this exposes PAS’ failure to engage in real policy debate and reflects internal PN power struggles.

• He questions PN’s credibility, as it still lacks a consensus on its own PM candidate.

Pakatan Harapan Youth has criticised PAS Youth for changing the theme of its upcoming rally - initially aimed at opposing the Urban Renewal Act (URA) - into a demonstration calling for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s resignation.

Harapan Youth chief Woo Kah Leong said the shift proves that PAS and Perikatan Nasional are opposing simply for the sake of doing so, without any clear stance or direction on public policy.

He said the rally was never truly about defending the people or engaging with policy issues, but rather a display of internal struggles within PN.

“PAS merely sought to exploit the rally in order to outshine its coalition partner, Bersatu,” Woo (above) stated.

PAS Youth had earlier planned to protest against the government’s URA proposal, but its chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden announced a change in direction.

“Therefore, PAS Youth declares that the rally on June 26 in Kuala Lumpur will be renamed from a protest against the URA to the ‘Turun Anwar’ rally. I call on all Malaysians, political parties, and PKR supporters dissatisfied with Anwar to attend the rally,” said Afnan.

Riding on political issues

Woo responded that PAS Youth had been eager to reject the URA, even though it hadn’t been tabled in Parliament, but has now shifted focus to attacking Anwar instead.

“This clearly shows that PAS lacks substance when it comes to public policy and is only interested in riding on political issues,” he said.

He added that PAS is struggling to justify its opposition to the URA, which is aimed at protecting the welfare of Malaysians of all backgrounds.

“As a result, PAS has taken the easy way out - by shifting the rally’s focus and creating a new ‘enemy’ to distract from its own failure to engage meaningfully on policy matters.”

Where’s the consistency?

Woo also questioned the consistency of PAS Youth’s slogan “Turun Anwar”, pointing out that PN itself has yet to decide on a candidate for PM.

“What’s laughable is that while PAS Youth chants the slogan ‘Turun Anwar’, the three component parties of PN have yet to agree on a single candidate for prime minister.

“Has PN officially decided whether to nominate Abdul Hadi Awang, Muhyiddin Yassin, or Hamzah Zainudin as their PM candidate?”

He further suggested the rally was a strategic move by PAS to strengthen its influence within PN.

With control of all menteri besar posts in PN-led states and the most parliamentary seats among coalition members, Woo said PAS was using the rally to tighten its grip and contain Bersatu’s presence.

While reaffirming support for the public’s right to assemble, he concluded that Malaysians do not need this kind of political theatre from PAS.

“These are not efforts meant to serve the people - they are moves without any real intention to uplift the rakyat.”

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