KUANTAN: "Thanks, but no thanks," is Pahang Angkatan Muda Harapan's answer to PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari's call for help to topple the Barisan Nasional government in Pahang.
The state Pakatan youth wing said the coalition had nine seats in the state assembly compared to PAS' eight seats and their position was stronger.
"There is no doubt that Pakatan also has the same vision and wish as PAS to topple the Barisan government and carry out administrative reforms in Pahang as has been done in Selangor and Penang.
"Nevertheless, Pakatan cannot possibly forget the incident where PAS conspired with Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) and Barisan to take down the Pakatan government through the Sheraton Move in 2020.
"PAS slept in the same bed with Barisan through Muafakat Nasional and now only returned to hostilities after establishing an external relationship with Bersatu and formed Perikatan Nasional," it said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 17).
The statement was jointly signed by Pahang Angkatan Muda Harapan chief Young Syefura Othman as well as state DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara youth chiefs.
Ahmad Fadhli reportedly called on Pakatan supporters to reconsider and take a stand to support PAS instead in order to change the Pahang government.
The Pasir Mas MP said that with votes from Pakatan supporters, PAS would have the chance to win or at least become the largest shareholder in the formation of the Pahang government.
Pahang Angkatan Muda Harapan said this showed that PAS was a party that only cared about power and would be willing to do anything to gain it.
"This also proves that any cooperation with PAS does not guarantee a stable and intact political relationship. The question is can PAS give a guarantee not to contest in the nine seats won by Pakatan in Pahang and ensure their components from Perikatan also do not contest in those seats?
"Therefore, this proposal from the PAS Youth chief should be answered with "thank you, but no thank you". There is no need for Pakatan supporters to support PAS or even Perikatan, the most failed government in the political history of our country and also the cause of the Pakatan government's downfall at the federal level," said the statement.
It added that Pakatan as a "government in waiting" needed to work hard to regain support from the people while Pahang Pakatan must defend the nine seats it won in GE14 and formulate a strategy to capture the state.
"Pakatan member parties need to renew cooperation and preserve its integrity. The main focus is to win the upcoming election so that the fate of the people of Pahang and its environment can be conserved, managed better and transparently," it said.
