AN UMNO leader has brushed off threats by a Gerakan leader that the party could withdraw from Perikatan Nasional (PN) if member parties continue to display religious extremism and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims following the recent school donation controversy.
According to UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, Gerakan would not dare leave the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin-led coalition as it would be unable to find allies elsewhere.
Puad further alleged that Gerakan and PAS, which had expressed differing views over the issue of funding for Chinese schools, were merely putting on a show as Gerakan knows that the Islamist party was merely sensationalising the issue to obtain power.
The Rengit assemblyman was referring to charity event organised by a Chinese school in Sepang, Selangor that had recently courted controversy after it was found that a brewery company was one of the donors.
“PAS knows that Gerakan is merely making threats. It (Gerakan) is just a mosquito party. Gerakan would not dare leave PN. There is nowhere else it can go,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 30).
Earlier this month, PAS criticised a deputy minister for accepting a mock cheque for RM3 million bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a fundraising event for a Chinese vernacular school in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.
However, leaders from DAP, MCA and Gerakan said that vernacular schools had no choice but to accept such contributions as they were only partly funded by Putrajaya.
On Sunday, Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong said if a political alliance requires all member parties to accept extremely conservative and unreasonable demands from one party, Gerakan will not hesitate to withdraw from PN.
Sin Chew Daily reported him as saying if Gerakan was willing to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) to oppose corrupt alliance partners, it would not hesitate to do the same by withdrawing from PN if member parties continue to display religious extremism and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.
Meanwhile, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari had also did not rule out the possibility that both parties would end their cooperation if Gerakan maintains its current stance. – July 30, 2024
Main image credit: Sinar Harian
