KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) victory in the Cameron Highlands parliamentary by-election recently (Jan.26) was said to have been contributed by Pas cooperation in gaining the Malay Muslim voters to vote for Ramli Mohd. Nor a local born candidate.
With Pas cooperation and hard work from BN components namely UMNO, MIC and MCA had helped Ramli Mohd. Nor to emerge as the only Orang Asli MP in Dewan Rakyat.
In the Cameron Highlands by-election, Ramli Mohd. Nor secured 12,038 votes winning over PH candidate M. Manogaran who drew 8,800 votes while two independent candidates, a former lecturer Sallehudin Ab.Talib took 314 votes while farmer activist Wong Seng Yee scored 276 votes.
Meanwhile political observers and analysts had many versions and interpretations on the BN victory. Some said it was obvious that Cameron Highlands was never won by other candidates except BN in the past general elections.
Some politicians alleged the former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had played racial sentiments to win the local Malay and Bumiputera voters in Cameron Highlands. Others blamed the local people do not accept the administration of PH as it did not fulfil the election manifestos to help the poor and the young people.
Some educationists alleged PH had not addressed fully sensitive issues relating to the Bumiputeras, Malays and Islam and therefore advised the government to tackle them with care.
However the Vice President of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Datuk Husam Musa felt that the Pas political cooperation with UMNO is without a clear basis and the effect from this relationship is their struggle all this while will not benefit them as reported by Utusan Online today.
The Chairman of Kelantan Pakatan Harapan (PH) Husam said, Pas has never told the people the terms and conditions for working together with UMNO and the basis for the cooperation.
Husam also mentioned in various political cooperation before for example with Parti Melayu Semangat 46 (S46), Pas put the condition that S46 have to receive Islam as addin (religion) while cooperation with Pakatan Rakyat (PR), DAP have to agree that PAS could continue its policies.
“We never heard any terms and conditions from the recent Pas cooperation with UMNO,” Husam said to the media at a dinner event organised by Kelab Media Kelantan Darul Naim (Kemudi) in Kelantan recently.
However he also told Utusan Online that he was happy to see the cooperation between the two parties as it was not a secret anymore and indirectly he had cleared his name as he was once accused of slander on the said cooperation between Pas and UMNO.
“I was sacked from Pas because I said there was a relationship between them and today Pas and UMNO’s relationship has become an open secret,” he added. – Malaysia World News
