PKR’s apparent “warm ties” with the controversial Melaka quartet, which dislodged the previous state administration, courted brickbats from its ally DAP and the public.
“What do you call a person without political principles?” asked Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng on Twitter.
User Twittwit added:
Yesterday, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that his party has yet to make a decision on whether to allow the four independent state assemblypersons to run under the Pakatan banner in the upcoming Melaka polls.
“The four had expressed interest but have yet to make a formal request. We don’t want to rush. We will give them time to contact us,” Malaysiakini reported the Port Dickson MP as saying.
Concurring with Anwar, PKR vice president Tian Chua said that Pakatan should be open to working with anyone who will be able to help them win the state polls.
“Tactically, we must join with anyone that can give Pakatan victory. It is a tactic we must consider by any means to win the most seats,” the former Batu MP was reported saying.
The four leaders who dislodged the state government are Sungai Udang state assemblyperson Datuk Seri Idris Haron (UMNO), Pantai Kundur assemblyperson Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (UMNO), Pengkalan Batu assemblyperson Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent) and Telok Mas assemblyperson Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu).
UMNO leadership had since sacked Idris and Azman from the party for breaching party rules. Subsequently, the quartet had approached Pakatan for support, holding several meetings with Anwar on the matter.
It is to note that the 2018-minted Pakatan leadership in Melaka was dislodged after Bersatu left the coalition last year, with Effandi joining the Perikatan Nasional team while Norhizam left the DAP to become Government-friendly independent.
Touching on PKR’s ties with the quartet, user Saeda warned the party there is no point in winning if one has to abandon their principles just for the sake of winning.
“Apa guna nya PRU, kalau ada nya MP yang tak bermaruah, lompat sana sini, mereka2 ni tak menghormati hak orang2 yang mengundi. Walau pun menang PRU kerajaan jatuh sekelip mata cuma disebabkan, tamak, wang, kedudukan dan kuasa! Politik di Malaysia sangat kotor dan memalukan.”
(What’s the point of having an election if its lawmakers have no honour; jumping ship all the time with no regards to voters’ rights. Even if you do win, the Government will collapse in an instant due to greed, money, position and power. Malaysian politics is dirty and disgusting)
Be wary of Tian Chua!
User Jalan Raja Chulan ain’t Wall Street stated in a jest: 
Two other netizens, Commander and Nazali Khalid cautioned PKR against listening to Tian Chua’s advise, alleging he was still aligned to the party’s former deputy president, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
User Nazali Khalid had this to say:
Netizen Commander, on the other hand, posted a video of the PKR stalwart getting attacked after a PKR meeting at its headquarters last year, following Azmin’s defection to Perikatan with nine other party MPs.
(Have you forgotten, Tian Chua? Don’t let this get repeated). – Oct 21, 2021
