DAP vice-chairman Yeo Bee Yin has hit out at Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin for referencing Anwar Ibrahim’s 2008 attempt to form a new federal government in his response to the current political situation in Negeri Sembilan.
Yeo, who is also the MP for Puchong, said the comparison was a “tired excuse” used to justify moves that could destabilise the administration of Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun. She stressed that past political events should not be used to legitimise present-day actions.
In a Facebook post, Yeo said: “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” adding that many current voters were too young to remember the 2008 political episode and should not be misled by historical comparisons used to defend present political strategies.
She questioned whether it was appropriate to tell younger Malaysians that “he did it first” is a valid justification for undermining governing agreements, arguing that political responsibility should not be based on past precedents.
Khairy had earlier criticised Pakatan Harapan on social media, pointing to Anwar Ibrahim’s 2008 bid to form a new government after the general election that year, which saw Barisan Nasional lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
He referred to the widely discussed “Sept 16, 2008” plan, when Anwar claimed he had secured enough defections from BN MPs to take over the federal government. However, the change of government never materialised as no mass defections took place, and BN remained in power under then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The current dispute comes after Negeri Sembilan Umno withdrew its support for Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, citing a loss of confidence amid an ongoing political crisis involving state traditional leadership issues.
Pakatan Harapan had earlier described the withdrawal as an attempt to topple the state government. PH communications director Fahmi Fadzil also condemned the move, describing it as a betrayal of political cooperation agreements.
