Don’t build castles in the sand, more MPs hit out at Anwar’s plan

More MPs have thrown their weight behind a growing opposition against PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to work with Umno in toppling the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

They also hit out at constant talk of wresting the prime minister’s seat as well as of having the “numbers” to change the government, a claim repeated by Anwar since the fall of the Pakatan Harapan administration last year.

“A year has passed by after the painful betrayal in the Sheraton Move. We want to move forward. We do not have a shortage of talent among opposition MPs,” said a joint statement signed by DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh and Hannah Yeoh, Warisan’s Darell Leiking, PKR’s Maria Chin Abdullah, and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the Muar MP who has formed his own bloc.

“We want the opposition leadership to be focused on policies that will win the trust and hearts of Malaysians and lead us into victory in the coming elections,” they said.

This comes days after Anwar’s admission that his party had met with Umno leaders in attempts to forge an alliance against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The five MPs warned against working with the Malay party, saying the experience of the current PN government in joining hands with Umno should serve as a lesson.

“We need to learn from the sandcastles built by this Perikatan Nasional government that have no strong foundation and are being held at ransom with constant threats and double-minded resolutions of withdrawal of support from Umno. We shall not be like them,” they said.

“The road to Putrajaya must not be obtained at all costs.”

A group of Umno leaders led by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak have lately stepped up their criticism of PN despite supporting the coalition to form the government last year.

Zahid and Najib, in October last year, had backed Anwar’s bid to topple Muhyiddin through the defections of MPs.

The five MPs today join several others as well as a DAP senator who voiced their objection yesterday to any political alliance with Umno.

Pulai MP Salahuddin Ayub (Amanah), Sepanggar MP Azis Jamman (Warisan) and Selangau MP Baru Bian (PSB) together with DAP’s Liew Chin Tong said the main focus at the moment should be to strengthen the opposition bloc.

In a statement also signed by Syed Saddiq, they urged Anwar to reject any cooperation with “kleptocrats”.