KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 – UMNO Information Chief Shahril Hamdan responded well to PPBM Information Chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan who, among others, claimed that PPBM and PN are the best parties to lead the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Wan Saiful claimed that many reasons led to his conclusion that PPBM, PN and Muhyiddin are the best options for Malaysians. He was seen as ringing his own bell. In his summary, he also levelled some allegations against UMNO.
Sharil’s counter-response to Wan Saiful’s claims are:
CLAIM 1: NO OTHER CANDIDATE IS FIT FOR PM POST EXCEPT MUHYIDDIN
That is only PPBM’s impression. Apart from Tan Sri Muhyiddin who is enjoying the No.1 seat now, please name me who is the respected leader in PPBM? Who is famous for doing something positive? Is there anybody else seen as a ‘potential PM’ candidate from PPBM? Maybe for PPBM, you have one now but that doesn’t mean other parties can’t match him.
CLAIM 2: UMNO/BN DOESN’T HAVE ANY PM CANDIDATE AS AT TODAY
Wrong and crap! UMNO has yet to name somebody. When it comes to making selections, it will happen and that is UMNO’s decision. As far as we know, the general election is not going to be held tomorrow. Malaysia’s democracy will still be hampered by emergency decisions tomorrow and day after. As I see it, PN is trying to build its majority in Parliament. They won’t call for GE immediately. So, UMNO is in no hurry to nominate a PM candidate.
One more thing, unlike PPBM, UMNO has many caliber leaders who are not only for the Prime Minister post but also for top administrative at Federal or State level.
For PPBM, it is so simple thinking of only one position because they don’t have anybody else deemed fit for that position. UMNO is not such. We have different approach.
CLAIM 3: UMNO HAD AGREED PN TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL ALLIANCE
The PPBM Information Chief claimed that there was a need to form PN as an official political coalition because MN was not registered. Then came the allegation that this was agreed by UMNO.
Not true at all. After the 22-month government fell due to PPBM, UMNO’s hope for the Parliament be dissolved did not happened. But for the sake of the people and a continued administration, UMNO agreed to help form a new government. There was no name for the new government then.
The name Perikatan Nasional propped up not long after that but it was never discussed with UMNO. No problem at all but I need to emphasized that UMNO has never agreed to be part of the Perikatan Nasional, a coalition that was abruptly registered.
As for PPBM wanting to join MN, where is their sincerity to be with MN if it continues to register PN by inviting other parties to join them?
If you refer to earlier statements by the PPBM leadership on or before August 2020, PN was just a big coalition by taking MN as the umbrella body along with other parties from Sabah and Sarawak. But suddenly before the Sabah PRN, Perikatan Nasional contested on its own.
And with that, PN was no longer a grand coalition but an official registered party without the consent of UMNO. True, there was no need for UMNO’s approval if they wanted to register PN but dont twist and fabricated stories that it was UMNO who caused the problem.
CLAIM 4: COOPERATION IN JETTISON BECAUSE UMNO WANTS TO BECOME A BIG BROTHER
Who actually wants to be a big brother?
It is a bit awkward for PPBM to accuse UMNO of wanting to be a big brother when they are the ones controlling main portfolios in the Government. They also chair PN which they registered. They boasted that PPBM was the only party fit for the PM post and no other parties can match it.
For that very reason, UMNO has to subscribe to a different political move if it wants to move forward. There is a rationale to its stance, based on what had taken place.
It is PPBM who is dominant today. They are the ones playing the role of a big brother. They should look back at their conduct and political behavior during the early days of PN establishment and the cause of the rickety cooperation.
CLAIM 5: PN AS THE BEST MALAY/ISLAM UNIFICATION
It’s good that PPBM is now talking about unification when not long ago they were part of Pakatan Harapan’s 22-month government. Maybe they wanted the people to forget about their predicaments under PH and for that, they want to clean up their image under Perikatan Nasional.
