SHAH ALAM, May 10 — The “big tent” strategy was a point of contention during the debate between the candidates for the post of PKR Youth (AMK) chief tonight, as both touched on how important it is for the party to win over the people.
For candidate Adam Adli Abdul Halim, the strategy currently being touted by some PKR leaders, however, should be shaped by the party’s example and principles.
“For me, every time we talk about political cooperation with other parties, we must remember that in this country, every political coalition is a coalition of different political parties, with varying dynamics.
“PKR is the only contemporary political party that is a combination of Parti Keadilan Nasional and Parti Rakyat,” he said during the debate that Astro Awani carried “live”.
Adam Adli added that any strategy determined by the leadership should be only for the benefit of the people and not certain leaders.
“I agree with the point of view that any discussion on political cooperation after this should not be to the detriment of the people and should stay away from treacherous elements.
“We cannot repeat past traumas. I believe the people are smart enough to assess where we want to go in terms of the direction of our political cooperation,” he added.
This prompted his rival, Fahmi Zainol, to retort that Adam Adli was not keen to tackle head-on questions on the “big tent” strategy, which to him were important.
“I see Adam did not answer my question. Maybe, after this, in the coffee shop, he can talk about his stand on the ‘big tent’,” he quipped.
Earlier, during the second round of the debate, Fahmi asked Adam Adli about his stance on the “big tent” approach.
He also raised the point that good strategy must be introduced at the Youth level to ensure a “wave” of people power in the 15th general election (GE15) similar to the big issues that were used in the past.
“The wave is very important. Like how the issue of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC) brought down Barisan Nasional (BN) in several states.
“We need to come up with a good strategy, especially at the Youth level, to ensure that the wave exists in every election to ultimately give the mandate to Pakatan Harapan to rule the country,” Fahmi said.
Both Adam Adli and Fahmi Zainol are former activists vying for the party’s top AMK post.
The voting process will start state by state from May 17 to 22 with every AMK member given a vote each to select their leader.
Adam Adli has formed the “Seangkatan” group, while Fahmi has “Ayuh Malaysia”, filled with their own supporters, in what is shaping up to be a closely fought contest.
