Unhappy And Unready But Ph Won T Quit Mou Says Analyst

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Pakatan Harapan’s dilemma lies in its unhappiness with the government and its own unreadiness to face a general election, says an analyst. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan, while unhappy with the government, is caught between its unreadiness to face a general election and Umno’s pressure on prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament, according to a political analyst.
Azmi Hassan, formerly of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said the opposition coalition was stuck “between a rock and a hard place” because it would not do well in a general election now despite its obvious discontent with the government’s performance.
“The greatest pressure to dissolve Parliament is from Umno and I don’t think PH can afford to fulfil (Umno’s) threats,” he said.
Azmi said a pull-out by PH from its political understanding (MoU) with Ismail’s government would add greater pressure on the prime minister, who is already under pressure from his own party, Umno.
Azmi Hassan.“I think they’re also trying to be very careful so that they won’t be accused by the people for being the reason behind a snap general election, if GE15 comes soon,” he told FMT.
Some PH leaders have repeatedly threatened to pull out from the agreement but these threats have yet to come to pass.
Azmi said PH seemed to have lost its sting, as proven by its poor performance in the recent Melaka and Sarawak state elections.
“The problem is who’s in command and leading PH. That’s what they need to address if PH wants to be either a formidable opposition or the next alternative for the government,” he said.
He said other opposition parties like Warisan, Pejuang and Muda have yet to capitalise on PH’s weaknesses. All the opposition parties needed each other to form a formidable bloc against Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional, he said.
Oh Ei Sun.PH signed the MoU with Ismail in August to restore political stability following a change of government, to allow Ismail’s government to manage the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and bolster the economy.
Some quarters have accused the opposition coalition of compromising on its principles.
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said PH’s credibility and integrity had been damaged in the eyes of voters the moment it signed the MoU with Ismail’s government.
With “no real opposition” coming from PH, it was “very natural” for other budding new opposition parties to emerge. Warisan, which recently expanded its wings to West Malaysia, and Muda could capitalise on PH’s failures with the MoU since they are not constrained by it,” he said.- FMT

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