Pakatan Harapan Youth has mocked PAS Youth for turning a planned protest against the Urban Renewal Act (URA) into one calling for the prime minister’s resignation.
PH Youth chief Woo Kah Leong said such a protest was “laughable” when Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot even agree on who’s their own candidate for the top job.
He added that the Islamic party and its coalition partners, Bersatu and Gerakan, remain divided on who should succeed Anwar, should PN win the next general election (GE16).
“Has PN officially decided on whether (PAS president) Abdul Hadi Awang, (Bersatu president) Muhyiddin Yassin, or (Bersatu deputy president) Hamzah Zainudin is their pick for prime minister?” he asked in a statement today.
Woo claimed the rebranded July 27 rally – initially announced as a protest against the URA – is nothing more than political theatre by PAS to demonstrate its dominance within PN while keeping Bersatu in check.
“In reality, PN is fragmented and lacks comprehensive administrative policies, be it at the federal level or in the four states it governs,” he said, referring to Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, where all the menteris besar are from PAS.
“It can’t even decide on a prime minister candidate. Instead of chanting ‘Turun Anwar‘, PN should focus on having an internal meeting to make that decision.”
PAS Youth first announced the rally in February, warning that the proposed URA could lead to the displacement of certain communities. The bill is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next month.
However, PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden yesterday announced that the wing decided to “rebrand” the rally to one demanding that Anwar step down, called “Turun Anwar”.
The issue of PN’s prime ministerial candidate is still subject to ongoing discussions within the coalition.
PAS has not officially acknowledged Muhyiddin as the candidate, suggesting that it might prefer one of its leaders, as the party is the largest bloc in PN with 43 parliamentary seats.
However, Bersatu vice-president Ahmad Faizal Azumu was reported to have said Muhyiddin remains PN’s sole candidate for the prime minister’s position at GE16.
