Khalid Samad: PN’s failure lies in their ability to leverage the name of Islam for political longevity

AMANAH communications director Khalid Samad has criticised the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition for its governance record at both the state and federal levels during its 33-month tenure. He argued that PN’s failures have been overshadowed by attempts to manipulate the Islamic narrative.

Khalid stated that when the unity government in Selangor presented its five-year performance, it would become irrelevant because PN supporters had been indoctrinated with the belief that “government achievements and excellence are not important.”

According to the former Shah Alam MP, the PN coalition which claimed to prioritise the protection of Islam, insisted on remaining in power despite its evident administrative shortcomings.

“When state elections approach in Selangor, we highlight the state government’s achievements and the implemented improvements. But now, all of that has become irrelevant.

“For those influenced by the PN doctrine, the remarkable accomplishments of the government hold no importance. What matters is that PN must remain in power because they claim that PN is the one to safeguard or halt the supposed threats to Islam.

“They can only create the perception of ‘Oh, this doesn’t align with Islam.’ But what does Islam suggest? They remain silent on that. They mask PN’s failures by exploiting Islam. They use Islam as a cover.. what PN cannot achieve and where they have failed, they insist that Islam’s safety is paramount.

“This is a thought pattern that will regress the Islamic community and set back the Malay nation,” Harapan Daily quoted him as saying last night (Aug 23) on Facebook’s Jom Channel.

Moreover, the Amanah Kelantan president also expressed concerns when people become complacent with setbacks such as water issues, development challenges and high unemployment in Kelantan.

He also questioned whether it was desirable for a political party to claim to represent Islamic values while not embodying them in practice, emphasising that this approach might hinder progress and development.

“Some people say that worldly matters are not important; what matters is thinking about the afterlife. No need for development; it’s a waste of time.

“So, as long as the Islamic community holds such a perspective, PN will continue to prevail and this is the challenge faced by Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional.” – Aug 24, 2023

 

Main photo credit: Bernama

Subscribe and get top news delivered to your Inbox everyday for FREE