06 January 2011

Christmas eve secret meeting: Why? - Goh Soon Sin

I am very disappointed to learn that on Christmas Eve PAS leaders, Nik Aziz and Hadi Awang had attended a secret meeting with two UMNO leaders, Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin, without informing the other coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat.

The reason offered that it was to comply with a royal command may be plausible but the PAS leadership’s subsequent evasiveness about giving a fuller explanation to fellow PKR and DAP leaders of circumstances leading to the meeting and what was discussed in it is causing much uneasiness, anxiety and suspicion. Many questions are now being asked.

  • Was Nik Aziz aware that UMNO leaders were going to be at the meeting?
  • Did Hadi persuade Nik Aziz to attend without telling him who else was coming?
  • If so, why?
  • Why was Hadi so interested in having Nik Aziz meet with Najib and Muhyiddin?
  • If both Nik Aziz and Hadi knew it was going to be a meeting with UMNO leaders, why didn’t they inform their Pakatan partners beforehand?
  • If they were ‘ambushed’ and didn’t know UMNO leaders would be in attendance, why didn’t they inform their Pakatan partners immediately after the meeting?
  • What was the King’s role and participation in the meeting?
  • Above all, what exactly was discussed and what transpired at the meeting?

PAS needs to tell all to its partners without delay. Otherwise, the suspicions that UMNO wants to create within Pakatan will have been created.

As usual, UMNO uses the “Malay unity” card to entice PAS. The same wornout card that UMNO had used to hoodwink the Malay heartland for the past 53 years to cling to power. Alas, the power they got from the Malays is not for the benefit of ordinary Malays but to prop up the kleptocracy that is plundering the nation.

UMNO is in a state of panic since more Malays are becoming enlightened and can see the charade of this “Malay unity” card. It is desperate enough to offer part of the loot to the PAS leadership in order to retain the support of the Malay heartland.

I have no worries that Nik Aziz would fall for such trickery. He is a man of principle and would dismiss such enticement summarily. What worries me is the other PAS leaders such as Hadi Awang, Nasaruddin Isa, Mustafa Ali whose major concern may be their ministerial pensions.

I sincerely hope that PAS leaders would reject any future overture from UMNO. The only hope for Malaysians to be rid of the kleptocracy is for Pakatan Rakyat to remain strong and united.



GOH SOON SIN