Pakatan retreat soon to discuss how to advance

KLANG: After disastrous showings in the Sabah, Sarawak, Johor and Melaka state elections, Pakatan Harapan leaders know something has to be done to transform the coalition before the 15th General Election.

In a bid to avoid a repeat of those setbacks, the leaders will soon be congregating at a retreat to brainstorm and formulate collective strategies.

“Our leaders do not want a repeat of what had happened in those four states. Hence, the initiative to relook and reformulate the Pakatan Haparan strategies and come up with a winning formula,’’ said a party source.

There is also talk that the coalition partners are seriously looking at coming up with a single master strategy to prevent a repeat of past incidents when coalition members had taken different paths.

“We have to speak in one voice,’’ he said.

Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, when contacted, said all parties would first formulate their own strategies and these would be brought to the Pakatan presidential council.

“After that, the strategies may be integrated at the retreat and made applicable to all component parties,’’ said Abdullah Sani.

He said the date for the retreat had not been fixed but he reckoned it would be before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob tables the budget on Oct 7.

“I am sure matters pertaining to the budget will also be discussed at the retreat,’’ he said.

Parti Amanah Negara communications director Khalid Samad said there was a need to have the retreat to consolidate election arrangements and strategies.

“It’s best for us to have one strategy so that we don’t take separate ways and cause speculation that we are divided,’’ said Khalid.

He added that the retreat would also be a platform for all party leaders to trash out differences of opinion and either “agree” or “agree to disagree”.

“Furthermore, the PKR leadership now has many new people. All of us need to meet to synchronise and be on the same page,’’ said Khalid.

DAP’s Selangor Speaker Ng Suee Lim said the retreat was vital.

All Pakatan component parties, he said, needed each other in terms of political will and strength.

“So, we have to come together as a family, get rid of all differences and start afresh to battle our common enemy in the general election,’’ said Ng.

He said there had been recent incidents and occurrences (such as the poor outcome in the state polls) which had given rise to declining morale and feelings of insecurity.

“We have to get all of these out of the way and rise again as a strong single unit,’’ he added.