SHAH ALAM: Parti Amanah Negara’s (Amanah) Youth wing has hit back at Pas for ridiculing the former’s Sungai Besar by-election machinery by labeling it as “too small.”
Amanah Youth chief Abbas Salimi Azmi said the election machinery does not determine a party’s victory.
“The people and voters decide on the winning party. No matter how strong Pas' election machinery, if they are not accepted by the people I feel we do not have a problem. Though it is said that Amanah Youth's machinery is small and so is DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) and PKR Youth, it is the people who vote, not us.
“We have no problem. As what Amanah president (Mohamad Sabu) had said, we are not bothered that thousands of people flock to Pas' ceramah where they contest because those are also the areas that they had lost. This happened in the Jerai parliamentary seat in Kedah.
“Pas is a party which is over 60-years-old. They have a strong machinery and many members but that does not mean they can win votes, particularly in Sungai Besar,” Abbas told a press conference at the Selangor Amanah headquarters today.
All Youth wing leaders under Pakatan Harapan were present, save for PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Nik Nazmi, said Abbas, could not attend as he had to attend the weekly exco meeting chaired by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
Abbas said Selangor PKR Youth deputy chief Zainol Abidin Mohamed may have missed out due to a late invite, but would be briefed later.
Meanwhile, Abbas said Amanah is adamant on contesting in Sungai Besar.
Abbas said this was because the seats where Pas had previously contested are rightfully Amanah's as they had replaced the Islamist party in Pakatan.
This, said Abbas, was also the stance of Selangor Amanah chairman Izham Hashim.
However, Abbas said Selangor Amanah would make the way for PKR to contest should that be the collective decision made by Pakatan.
“We will continue to work for PKR because that is the spirit of the political cooperation in Pakatan," said Abbas.
On another matter, Selangor DAPSY chief Eric Teh Hoong Keat said if he were a Pas exco member in the Selangor state government, he would resign from the post over failure to adhere to instructions by Azmin, who had reportedly asked Pas to stay away from contesting.
Teh likened the working relationship between the Selangor government and Pas to “a boss and an employee.”
“For me personally and morally, if I were in their position, I will resign for going against the instructions of the Menteri Besar. If they (Pas) cannot cooperate, why continue to sit and work together?
“I am not saying they should resign but they should take heed of the Menteri Besar's advice. The Pas excos must assume responsibility and explain to the people why Pas insisted on contesting in Sungai Besar, resulting in a three-corner fight,” he said.
Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, had reportedly told the Pas excos to quit the state government if their party remained set on contesting in Sungai Besar.
Azmin had reportedly told this to Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad, Zaidy Abdul Talib and Datuk Ahmad Yunus Hairi after last week's exco meeting.
Azmin later described the allegations reported in a newspaper as “madness” and "slanderous".