PAS may lose Kelantan if not careful, said Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 16: An inefficient government and failure to manage flood relief efforts may cost PAS state control over Kelantan if it shows no drastic improvement prior to the upcoming 14th General Elections, a DAP leader has warned.
DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang in a statement today said Kelantan voters have not had confidence in PAS after it failed to properly aid the victims of the massive floods last December.
“In Kelantan, a fall in support by PAS is likely for two main reasons – the passing away of PAS iconic leader and former spiritual leader, Tok Guru Nik Aziz as well as the inability of the current Kelantan state government to manage the post-flood reconstruction and rebuilding efforts,” said Lim.
The floods that savaged the east coast states, particularly Kelantan, had rendered homeless some , and the dismal state governmental aid has done little to ease their plight.
Lim believed that even though the recent scandals and economic downturn have cast the current government in unfavourable light, local factors can still overturn PAS’s political advantage.
Lim said that prior to the 2013 general elections, DAP’s advice to PAS to regain confidence from Kedah’s voters, via beneficial changes, went unheeded. PAS subsequently lost control of Kedah to Umno.
Likewise, BN also took a stumble by nearly losing Terengganu as a result of mediocre leadership from UMNO Menteri Besar, Ahmad Said, added Lim.
Lim said that if PAS loses its supporters by a margin of as little as 4%, it is enough to topple its government in Kelantan.
Lim’s statement comes after PAS elections director Mustafa Ali said the Islamist party will field non-Muslim candidates for the next general elections, even in seats that were traditionally contested by DAP prior to the break-up between the parties.
However, in an immediate response, Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua had said that it is the democratic right of any party to do so, but warned PAS to focus on the seats it holds first.
He also cautioned that Selangor DAP will also actively campaign against PAS should the two parties fight for the same seat.
“DAP Selangor has met and confirmed that we will not be providing any assistance or support to any PAS candidate in the state for the next general election. Instead, I will direct all DAP leaders and branches in the state to start active work in certain seats contested by PAS with the objective of contesting them in the next general election,” he said in a statement.
– The Rocket
