DAP’S Ramkarpal Singh today said a Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional cooperation is “ill-advised” and “ought not to be condoned”, as it will lead to Malaysians who had voted for change losing confidence in the new federal government.

He said BN representatives had condoned and were complicit in the mismanagement of the country under former prime minister Najib Razak’s rule, and this was the very reason PH started its “crusade”.

He said the scourge of BN’s six decades in power can be reversed only if PH does not merge with Sarawak BN.

“Voters’ choice and confidence (in PH) are paramount and must be respected. I am confident that we have sufficient numbers and calibre within our ranks at present, without the need to achieve a two-thirds majority in Parliament through BN defections,” he said in a statement.

“BN representatives were complicit in the mismanagement of the country… which is precisely why reforms are urgently needed now.

“(This was why) PH embarked on its quest to save Malaysia, to exclude such BN representatives who were the very ones who condoned and supported Najib’s regime, which PH has finally toppled.”

The Bukit Gelugor MP’s comments followed reports that Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud had met with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, sparking rumours of a BN-PH merger.

Sarawakians have lashed out on social media, saying such a merger would whitewash the corruption, cronyism and plundering of wealth that had taken place in the state.

Ramkarpal said PH should take as an example the Penang government, which introduced the country’s first anti-party hopping law in 2012.

“A member of the state legislative assembly must vacate his seat if he resigns, is expelled from or ceases to be a member of the party that he was elected as a candidate of (with a few exceptions).”

Sarawak BN comprises PBB, PRS, SUPP and PDP, which collectively won 19 parliamentary seats in the 14th general election.

If the parties leave BN, it would see the coalition being left with only 60 parliamentary seats nationwide, while PH would hold 141 out of the 222 seats. – May 12, 2018.