Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi has dismissed PAS’s planned October 4 rally against the Urban Renewal Bill as “political gimmickry,” accusing the Islamist party of grasping for reasons to protest after its earlier “Turun Anwar” rally failed to gain traction.
In a scathing Facebook post, Puad criticized PAS for shifting focus following the lackluster push to demand Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s resignation, which he claimed backfired when Bersatu grassroots instead called for their own president, Muhyiddin Yassin, to step down.
Puad highlighted PAS’s indirect support for a leadership change within Bersatu, noting that PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s call for a prime minister candidate under 70 years old appeared to target Muhyiddin, who is 78.
“Indirectly, PAS was pushing for Muhyiddin to step down and be replaced by Hamzah Zainudin,” Puad wrote, referring to Bersatu’s deputy president and opposition leader, aged 68, who has been touted as a potential alternative despite Bersatu’s endorsement of Muhyiddin as its prime minister nominee for the next general election.
Urging PAS to abandon street protests, Puad called for constructive dialogue on critical issues like the Kampung Sungai Baru land acquisition tied to the Urban Renewal Bill. He contrasted PAS’s approach with Barisan Nasional (BN), which hosted a forum on September 23 to propose alternatives to the bill.
Puad suggested PAS invite its central committee members, Annuar Musa and Shahidan Kassim—both former federal territories ministers involved in the Kampung Sungai Baru land acquisition process—for a balanced discussion.
He also recommended including Amanah’s Khalid Samad, another former federal territories minister, and Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, whose constituency encompasses Kampung Sungai Baru.
The upcoming rally marks PAS Youth’s second attempt to protest the Urban Renewal Bill. In February, the wing announced plans for a demonstration, but by June, it rebranded the event as the “Turun Anwar” rally held on July 26. A Sabah PKR leader mocked this shift, accusing PAS Youth of changing its focus due to a tepid response to the original anti-Urban Renewal Bill protest.
Puad’s remarks underscore the deepening political rift, with Umno advocating for substantive engagement over what it perceives as PAS’s opportunistic protests, as debates over the Urban Renewal Bill and its implications for communities like Kampung Sungai Baru continue to intensify.
