Pkr Defector Cites Opposition Disunity Inability To Retake Putrajaya

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Julau MP Larry Sng sees little hope for the "disunited" Pakatan Harapan to win in the next general election, prompting him to desert PKR.
"Do you think Harapan has a chance to reclaim power even if I continue to stay in PKR? There is no way for Harapan to reclaim Putrajaya even if there are 10 MPs joining them," he said in an interview with Sin Chew Daily's Pocketimes yesterday.
The problem, he said, lies within the disunited opposition as there were differences among Parti Pejuang Tanah Air's Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Harapan's Anwar Ibrahim, and Warisan's Shafie Apdal.
It is unlikely for them to cooperate among themselves and support either one of them as their leader, he said.
Sng, who contested the Julau seat as an independent and joined PKR immediately after Harapan won in the 2018 general election, said back then he pledged to join the ruling coalition.
He deserted PKR together with Tebrau MP Steven Choong on Feb 28. The duo cited the need to serve their constituencies in justifying their decision to defect.
Sng said he ignored various offers for him to switch camps in the past until he found himself unable to deliver his promises to develop his constituency.
"My position is simple, I can't keep my promise. This is why I must leave, there is no good time to leave the party," he said.
While many expressed unhappiness over his defection, he claimed that the people in Julau were delighted by his decision.
Sng reiterated his support for an anti-hopping law to prevent defection that would prevent lawmakers from switching parties.
"I understand their views, especially on the subject of party hopping," he said.
Meanwhile, Choong denied an allegation that he received RM20 million but claimed he was guaranteed allocations for his constituency.
He said he is willing to work without a salary if he is given a platform by the prime minister to serve the people in Tebrau.
He also hit back at attempts to discredit him by linking him to tax evasion.
"I am a professional auditor myself. How could I continue my practice if I am caught in tax evasion?" he was quoted by China Press as saying.
He argued that he didn't defect from PKR but the party sacked him.
Elaborating further, Choong said he decided to approach International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali after the situation in his constituency had not improved and the business community complained foreign investments were not coming due to bureaucratic issues in government agencies.
He said Azmin proposed that he join the government and act as a “middleperson”.
“However, I told him that I didn’t want any ministerial or glamorous positions, and yet not have any work to do. I’m a worker, I need to do something,” he was quoted by The Vibes as saying.
Despite losing two MPs, PKR president Anwar insisted that Muhyiddin still failed to command majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.
Last December, Perikatan Nasional (PN) passed Budget 2021 with 111 votes - a simple majority of the 220 MPs currently in the Dewan Rakyat.
However, it is unclear if other Umno lawmakers - especially those aligned to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who has been critical of PN - would still back the loose coalition if Parliament reconvenes. - Mkini

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