Khalid hits out at 'apple-polishers' in Kota D'sara debacle

May 30: PAS's Shah Alam chief has hit out at some party members for still defending the act of placing a PAS candidate in the Kota Damansara state seat during the recent election, saying the move was strategically and ethically unacceptable.

"The truth is that as a result of the PAS member in Kota Damansara contesting even after PKR had announced Dr Nasir (Hashim) as its candidate, there were no winners, other than satisfying the obsession of those bent on contesting," said Khalid Samad (right), who was re-elected as Shah Alam's second-term member of parliament.

Saying he was willing to state the truth at the risk of being accused of going against the party, Khalid, who is also in the PAS Central Committee, said the PAS candidate's insistence which led to a three-cornered fight among PKR, PAS and BN, ultimately handing victory to BN, had only tainted PAS's image in the eyes of the public.

"The people rejected UMNO/BN but this action by PAS had resulted in Kota Damansara voters being forced to accept UMNO/BN to represent them.

"By this, we have betrayed the people as well as Pakatan Rakyat's wishes. UMNO was PAS's main rival and hence UMNO's victory only made PAS the loser," Khalid added in a posting on his blog.

During nomination day on April 20, Ridzuan Ismail and his followers went ahead to file his candidacy despite the earlier agreement that the incumbent, veteran activist Dr Nasir Hashim of the Socialist Party (PSM), would represent PR in Kota Damansara under the PKR banner. Among others, they accused Nasir of communist leanings.



SPOILER ... Ridzuan went against party directive, but emerged third


Following last-minute negotiations with PKR, PAS instructed Ridzuan to withdraw from the contest, but by this time it was too late, and PR's chance to retain the seat was further hampered by PAS Kota Damansara's decision to snub party instruction.

Due to this, BN's Halimaton Saadiah Bohan managed to wrest the seat back from PKR by a majority of 1,527 votes, while PKR and PAS obtained 14,860 and 7,312 votes respectively. Three other independent candidates lost their deposits.

Khalid, saying any fair observer would admit that PAS had erred in Kota Damansara, stressed that he was willing to 'call spade a spade' if there was no other party leader to do so.

"If no one is willing to point out to the leadership of their mistake, then let me be the one to do it.

"Previously I was alone in speaking out against (former Selangor PAS commissioner) Hassan Ali, so I can be alone again this time around.

"Love for the leaders is not the issue here. And if indeed one loves the leaders, one will point out their mistakes, not become apple-polishers. That is true love," said Khalid.

Prior to this, Youth leaders from PKR and PAS exchanged brickbats after PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin criticised PAS for spoiling PR's chances in Kota Damansara.

In 2008, Nasir won the seat by defeating BN's Zein Isma Ismail by 1,075 votes.