PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has chided Amanah for wanting to work with “political frogs” from Malacca who had caused the collapse of the last state government.

The former Pandan member of Parliament name-checked Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Malacca Amanah chairman Adly Zahari as those who are trying to bring the defectors in on the grounds that it would strengthen Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the state.

However, he added that it was PKR that was left to do the explaining and face criticism from voters for PH wanting to work with these politicians.

“The president of Amanah and the chairman of Amanah Malacca has to try to convince PH supporters that the entry of political frogs will (boost the chances) for PH to win in Malacca,” he said in a Facebook post.

On October 5, four assemblymen announced they had withdrawn support for the state government led by Sulaiman Md Ali, which saw the dissolution of the state assembly, paving the way for the polls.

The Election Commission has set November 8 for nomination day, while polls will be held on November 20.

The four assemblymen are Idris Haron (Sg Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).

PH has so far maintained that it would not offer a seat to Norhizam after DAP had soundly rejected his comeback into the pact.

Norhizam had won his seat in the last general election under the DAP ticket, but soon defected to support Perikatan National. That saw the collapse of the PH government in the state.

PH has yet to decide on the status of the remaining three elected reps who have indicated their readiness to join the parties under the pact.

Rafizi said the arguments used to bring these defectors in were the same ones that were used to bring Bersatu into the PH fold in 2016.

He said that at the time, he and other party members who represented PKR in the presidential council insisted that Bersatu would only be accepted as an election ally and not a member of the PH coalition.

“Those who insisted on wanting Bersatu as a member of PH were the leaders of Amanah and DAP, on the grounds that PKR was not strong and divided.

“Azmin’s (Mohamed Azmin Ali) behaviour was used as an excuse for PH to need new leadership from Bersatu because, supposedly, we were not strong enough to discipline Azmin, who wants to be with PAS.

“In order to maintain PH, we had to agree on the terms of a strict agreement, (but) the strategy that Bersatu (would boost support) was gone after they jumped (left PH).

“Now, the same reason is being used by the Amanah leadership; it is said that Idris Harun and others will bring a surge in the Malacca (elections),” he said.

Rafizi said it was time the other parties in PH, especially Amanah, publicly defend their proposal to accept these political frogs as it was unfair for PKR to be hit for it.

“Outside, they are silent because it has become a practice that the party that will face criticism is always PKR.

“The strong arguments reverberate in the PH meetings do not quite reverberate outside.

“For me, once is enough. Until I die, I will not forget that lesson because if I make the same mistake two or three times, then I’m less smart.” – November 1, 2021.