Don T Find A New Tent When Going Gets Tough Rafizi Tells Harapan

---

 


PKR deputy president candidate Rafizi Ramli said Pakatan Harapan parties should not be seeking out a "new tent" when the going gets tough.
He said this in response to DAP and Amanah's push for a "big tent" approach in order to incorporate other opposition parties into a wider opposition coalition.
Rafizi (above), who was introducing his team of candidates for the PKR polls, said Harapan parties should believe in their own abilities and the capability of their allies.
"How can it be that you can be confident in 2008, in 2013 but in 2018 and 2022 you are no longer confident.
"There will always be ups and downs and sometimes it is due to PKR, Amanah or DAP. The good can be from PKR, Amanah or DAP and the bad is also the same.
"If we are truly united... then whether it rains or shines, we must stand together," he told the town hall gathering in Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur which was aired live on Facebook.
Rafizi said when there are problems, Harapan must identify the root cause.
"When it is hot, don't straightaway find a new umbrella or tent.
"A bit of heat is normal... On a hot day, it will become cloudy, then cold. We can't run from it.
"It only becomes an issue when we start to waver and find someone else. We fail to identify the root cause of the problem," he said.
Rafizi added that he cannot accept if he has to share the same stage as former PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin, who had defected to Bersatu.
Former PKR vice-president Zuraida KamaruddinFirmer position
Ahead of the PKR polls next month, Rafizi has positioned himself as a leader who will take on a firmer position amid pressure from PKR's allies.
DAP and Amanah have repeatedly pushed to join forces with other opposition parties such as Warisan and Muda, to PKR's chagrin.
DAP had also claimed that Harapan's failure to use a single logo had cost the coalition support as it showed a lack of unity.
However, Rafizi said internal surveys showed that using PKR's logo could win them up to 10 percent more Malay votes while support among non-Malay voters would be unchanged.
He added that the issue of the logo was only an issue of strategy but more importantly is a matter of principles.
He zoomed in on Harapan's negotiations and discussions with the government, which he said made Harapan look lethargic.
"Our friends may not realise it but when they are in discussion (with the government) people at the bottom are asking when was the last time they hit out at Umno and BN.
"When in negotiating and discussing, they cannot attack (the government).
"And if we are counting on people like Najib Abdul Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's support so (PKR president) Anwar Ibrahim can become prime minister, then we can't attack them," he said. - Mkini

---