KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional lawmaker Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, once ridiculed for his many gaffes, is now finding himself to be quite the darling among Pakatan Harapan leaders.
So much so Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has urged the Pontian MP to remain in Umno, pointing out that he has a bright future now as an opposition MP.
“I am appreciative of the position and role of Ahmad Maslan, the Member of Parliament of Pontian. You know he has steadfastly stood up, embarked and engaged in debates and I do not want him to jump, not to PKR or PPBM (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia).”
“Please stay in Umno, do your job. You have been in power for so long I am sure you are going to be a great opposition and that is what Malaysia needs,” she told a forum at Sunway University, here today.
Apart from Nurul Izzah, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh also praised Ahmad and even gave priority to his questions in Parliament.
Stunned by the quality of his consistently good debates in Parliament, several PH lawmakers have even openly called him to join the pact.
Among his nuggets of wisdom included his advice to PH leaders not to squabble with the media as well as telling Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik to keep his cool and focus while answering questions.
During the forum, Nurul Izzah said the government needed a solid opposition and said that Pas would become stronger if Umno no longer exist.
She said Umno could remain a strong opposition if its leaders stop switching sides.
“No government, no members of the executives can run their show without an able opposition."
“You want to dissolve Umno, what happens then? You want Pas to emerge as the strongest?
"Because I tell you that is going to happen. It's going to happen,” said the PKR vice president.
Earlier this month, Umno’s Guar Chempedak state assemblyman Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail left the Malay nationalist party to join PPBM.
While Jeli MP Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed also exited Umno in September and joined PPBM about a month later.