Guan Eng: DAP still open to allying with Warisan ahead of GE15 to prevent BN’s return to power

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng said today his party is still willing to cooperate with Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s Warisan, despite the recent bad blood between the two Opposition parties.

The Bagan MP said he is willing to work with other Opposition parties in order to prevent Barisan Nasional (BN) from winning the next general election (GE15), despite Warisan seemingly poaching several DAP representatives.

“Despite such unfriendly acts, DAP is still willing to seek cooperation and work with genuine Opposition parties such as Warisan for the larger national interest to prevent a BN victory or BN returning to power with an overwhelming two-thirds majority,” he told Malay Mail.

Lim was commenting on an exclusive interview by Malay Mail with PKR secretary-general Saifudin Nasution — who was quoted saying that DAP is not willing to work with Warisan.

He added that there has not been an official statement by himself or the party that it will not work with Warisan, despite Lim himself previously expressing unhappiness with certain moves made by Warisan that went against Pakatan Harapan (PH) and DAP.  

“One, Warisan criticised PH for signing the MoU with the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri [Yaakob] and the Malaysian government to enact the Anti-Hopping Law which required a two-thirds majority to amend the Federal Constitution.

“Two, whilst DAP welcomes Warisan spreading its wings to set up branches in Peninsular Malaysia, I have expressed unhappiness that Warisan contested in the Johor state election, targeting Johor state seats held by PH incumbents and avoiding BN incumbent seats.

“By attacking PH, this would clearly benefit BN,” he said.

He added that DAP is also unhappy that Warisan had accepted two Sabah state assemblymen who had defected to the latter.

“Warisan is welcome to take in DAP defector members but to take in DAP elected representatives as defectors from Sabah, is contrary to the principles of the Anti-Hopping Law,” he said.

In an exclusive interview with Malay Mail, Saifuddin said that when it came to the “big tent” approach, closing all doors for negotiations with other parties is not the right thing to do.

He said PKR’s priority is to strengthen PH heading into the GE15, and the coalition must send a signal that it is open to discussions should it fail to form a government by itself.