Pakatan leaders take their fight on social media

The fight between DAP and PKR over the planned polls has turned nasty and is out in the open with leaders from both sides snapping at each other on social media.

Selangor DAP chairman Tony Pua vented his anger against what he called were “friends who left you feeling naked” only to be scolded by PKR’s legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya who said they should not “strip first and then complain”.

DAP Wanita national assistant publicity secretary Syerleena Abdul Rashid also turned her guns on PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil over his claims on by-elections contested by his party.

Pua sounded frustrated when he took to social media to complain.

“Sometimes, you wonder what type of friends you have. When they are in a crisis, you backed them to the hilt, come what may,” he said on his Facebook account yesterday.

“Then at a time where we would appreciate their support, they leak everything to the media first leaving you completely naked.

“Or announce to the whole world openly before they bother talking to us,” Pua said in what looked like a reference to PKR’s refusal to go along with DAP’s proposal for snap polls in Penang.

Latheefa hit back saying DAP kept changing its reason for snap polls.

“First, it was to get back the so-called mandate of the people (which strangely you insist that you have not lost). Then you say it’s not about your leader’s (Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s) charge.

“And now you are saying it’s about a referendum against (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) based on the latest (US) DOJ (Department of Justice) exposé.

“Perhaps, you should all make up your mind first ... then consult with us and convince us,” she said.

“Do not expect PKR to ask ‘how high’ whenever DAP screams ‘jump’,” she added.

Latheefa also questioned who was the first to publicly announce the possibility of snap polls without consulting other coalition partners.

She also noted that DAP had made a unilateral announcement declaring Pakatan Rakyat dead.

“Don’t strip first and then complain about being left naked,” she said in a Facebook post.

Fahmi entered the fray by saying the two Permatang Pauh by-elections, in 2008 and 2015, were centred on PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and that PKR had consulted with DAP and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders on the 2014 Kajang by-election.

He said these were single-seat by-elections where the immediate impact was only on PKR.

Syerleena, however, retorted that her party only found out about the by-elections when it was published in an online media.

She pointed out that the Kajang by-election did not involve just a single seat, as it anticipated a change of the Selangor Mentri Besar.

“This has huge implications, almost as big as holding a state election,” she said.

Syerleena, who is also Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor, claimed that despite the lack of consultation, DAP gave full and undivided support to the PKR leadership’s decision.