PASIR Pinji MP Howard Lee should not have jumped the gun on the use of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) logo by parties in the coalition in the next general election, PKR’s youth wing secretary Syukri Razab said today.

He said Lee should have waited for PH to make an official announcement on the matter, especially when the PH leadership council has not decided on the matter. 

He said Lee’s premature announcement can cause problems for parties in the coalition, especially when PKR members have been asking for their party logo to be used by PH member parties. 

“He should be more open-minded with the PKR grassroots’ stance that the party’s logo should be used by PH in the 15th general election,” he said in a statement. 

PKR will also need time to explain the decision to party members as some are against it, he added.

Syukri was responding to calls by PKR’s Federal Territory chapter urging for PKR’s logo and party flag to be used by PH candidates in GE15, instead of the PH logo and flag. 

He said Federal Territory PKR has a strong reason for urging that the party logo be maintained in GE15.

“The use of the party logo was successful in gaining the support of Malaysians in the last election,” he said. 

“It is unfair for Lee to dismiss the grassroots’ calls by virtue of his position as the youth chief and to pass it as long as it was the decision of the presidential council.”

In an interview with The Malaysian Insight, Lee, who is from DAP and also PH youth chief, said the presidential council has decided that all parties should use the coalition’s logo in GE15.

Syukri also pointed out that Lee’s assertion that PKR president was able to win the Port Dickson seat contesting with the PH logo was because Anwar Ibrahim is a well-known figure.

“Anwar is a ‘winnable candidate’ even if he was placed in the roughest seat. He won because of his name and credibility. The results may be different if Lee contested in the Tanjung Malim seat with Pakatan’s logo,” he said.

The presidential council should make the decision with regard to the issue of logo based on facts and date, he added. 

“A field study should be conducted by an independent agent before a logo is chosen to be used by Pakatan in the next election,” he said. 

“Just because Pakatan has been registered and has its own logo, it doesn’t mean it has to use its own logo.” – October 1, 2021.