STOP using “lunch dates” to distract people from Pakatan Harapan’s failings, DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh said in a jab at PKR duo Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rafizi Ramli.

The Bukit Gelugor MP said their recent meetings with Barisan Nasional’s Khairy Jamaluddin over lunch, photos of which have been widely shared online, are pulling attention away from attempts by Umno elected representatives to join PH, as well as pressing cost-of-living issues.

“Nurul Izzah, KJ and Rafizi’s lunches have stolen the show.

“It might make news for a day or two, but the reality is that people are becoming tired of this nonsense, this drama, this ‘wayang’ (show).

“They want you to perform. Not have publicised lunches,” said Ramkarpal in a statement.

Besides rumours of at least 40 more Umno members attempting to cross over to the ruling coalition, he highlighted the spike in egg prices as an issue that Malaysians are concerned about.

He said a former Umno member in his constituency complained to him about both issues, and asked why PH is turning out to be like Umno.

He said the voter is right to say PH is becoming no different from Umno if it could even consider accepting “the very people we voted out”.

“What’s going on is that the new PH government is failing.”

Rembau MP Khairy, of Umno, Nurul Izzah and Rafizi met at an eatery a day after Nurul Izzah announced her shock resignation as PKR vice-president, as well as from other party and government posts, on Monday. It was their second such meet-up this month.

Party sources said she quit to put a stop to allegations of nepotism against her and her father, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

Party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the move was due to “internal developments”, but did not elaborate.

Yesterday, Rafizi shared a newspaper article about their second meet-up in a tweet.

“We never discussed changing parties or starting a new party.

“KJ taught me how to use Instagram filters. Nurul Izzah gave tips about children’s schools. I gave tips on how to gain weight.”

Their meetings have raised eyebrows, given Khairy’s remarks against Anwar in the past. – December 20, 2018.