p ramasamy — Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said PAS must move away from its mono-ethnic or mono-religious position on politics in order to win over the non-Malays.

PETALING JAYA:

Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation as Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman has thrown a spanner in the works of the Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance of parties outside PN, says Urimai chairman P Ramasamy.

In a statement, Ramasamy lamented the situation, especially with PAS widely expected to take over the PN chairmanship.

Acknowledging that the Islamic party held more parliamentary and state seats than Bersatu, the former DAP leader nevertheless said that PAS was still seen as having no interest in fighting for the political, social, religious and cultural interests of Chinese and Indian Malaysians.

“The politics of PAS is seen as detrimental to the rights of the Chinese and Indians. Whether it is true or not is something else, but perceptions matter in the real world of politics.

“Some sections of non-Malays might have warmed to Muhyiddin, especially with the recent formation of IPR. However, Muhyiddin’s resignation as PN chairman has put the future of the loose coalition on hold.

“While it was once thought of as a formidable opposition with the potential to unseat the ruling coalition of Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election, the prospect of such an opportunity now seems a distant dream,” he said.

The former Perai assemblyman added that in order to win over the non-Malays, PAS must move away from its mono-ethnic or mono-religious position on politics.

Ramasamy said PAS’s increase in prominence would only boost DAP’s political relevance among the non-Malays, which would hamper the Islamic party’s efforts to win over the community.

Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, stepped down as PN chairman effective Jan 1 while PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has laid claim to the post for his party.

Several names being bandied about as possible successors include PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, the current Terengganu menteri besar.

IPR was announced on Oct 14, bringing together leaders from PN and Urimai, Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa, Muda, the Malaysian Advancement Party, and the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party.

The loose coalition was Muhyiddin’s brainchild to unite opposition voices while reaching out to non-Malay voters discontented with the PH-BN government.

LatestHeadlines

Muhyiddin’s PN resignation derails Ikatan alliance, says Ramasamy

Urimai chairman says some sections of non-Malays previously warmed to Muhyiddin Yassin but that PAS's politics is still seen as detrimental to their rights.