Lim noted that the exit of the Sabah and Sarawak parties from BN has even led one Gerakan leader to suggest the remaining component parties vote to expel Umno from the coalition. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — With the departure of eight component parties in Sabah and Sarawak from BN, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has declared PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as the “greatest loser” in Malaysian politics.

The DAP parliamentary leader said Hadi’s greatest failure was his inability to obtain 40 parliamentary seats in the polls and he could not become a “kingmaker” as he had hoped, but also is unable to deny a two-thirds majority to establish a “new Malaysia”.

“The formation of the four Sarawak political parties, PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP, into a new state-based alliance called Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is the greatest failure of his political life,” he said in a statement.

Lim noted that the exit of the Sabah and Sarawak parties from BN has even led one Gerakan leader to suggest the remaining component parties vote to expel Umno from the coalition.

He was referring to Gerakan Youth chief Andy Yong who mooted the idea that a BN supreme council meeting should be held to decide on Umno’s expulsion. The coalition formerly consisted of 13 component parties, but now only includes Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan.

“The matter had not been thought through as what is the use of BN’s residue? Gerakan with no MP, MCA with one MP and MIC with two MPs?” Lim said.