PAS: Losing S'gor only a 'worst-case' scenario
Selangor PAS today admitted to the existence of an internal report that BN can wrest Selangor away from them as claimed by Umno veep Zahid Hamidi during the party’s recent annual general meeting.
Selangor PAS today admitted the existence of an internal report stating that BN may wrest away Selangor from Pakatan, as Umno vice-president Zahid Hamidi had said during the party’s recent annual general meeting.
However, the Islamic party maintained that the report was a ‘worst-case’ scenario projection and not a foregone conclusion.
“It is normal when we plan for an election that we will come up with a worst-case scenario. It is possible that Selangor may fall to BN as Umno is doing all it can to do so, Premier Najib (Abdul Razak) himself said there are ways they can win the state, crooked ways, I’d say,” admitted the Islamic party’s state deputy commissioner Khalid Samad.
According to Zahid, an independent study sanctioned by PAS showed that support for Umno and the BN was growing in Selangor under the prime ministership of Najib Abdul Razak .
"A study sanctioned by PAS central found 76 percent of respondents are disappointed with Pakatan Rakyat and 60.6 percent found there is no change in the state," Zahid had said.
Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam today, Khalid (left) said what Zahid did not mention was that the report also stated that while the danger was clear, PAS also has more ways to reach the Malays now, having access to avenues previously closed to the party, like television, local councils, JKKKs and village heads.
“The report recommended that we forge ahead to use these channels to counter the threat and while PAS now is more solid than it was before, we cannot be complacent,” he explained.
Khalid said that while the report was commissioned to prepare party members for the worst and to invigorate the party machinery to take their game to greater heights, one should also consider the facts of how things were in the state before coming to a conclusion.
“Is there any incidence of Malays fleeing the state in droves while it is under Pakatan rule? Are the Malays getting out of Selangor? Are they moving to Johor?
“I doubt it. What happened is that people are moving here from Johor, like me,” he said in jest.
Khalid said that in general Malays and other races in Selangor were better off now than under BN’s rule, quoting rising allocations for Sekolah Agama Rakyat, temples, mosques and others.
“Not only are they receiving what is due to them, but we are giving them more, too,” claimed the Shah Alam MP.
