MELAKA: Melaka PKR has chided those turning Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim into a "scapegoat" for the dismal performance of the alliance in the state election.

       Its deputy chairman Datuk Gue Teck said it was unfair to pin the blame solely on Anwar as other parties in the alliance should also take the blame.

       "The poor man has been turned into a ‘sacrificial lamb’ by those who are not willing to concede their own weakness in wooing the voters," he said when interviewed here on Monday (Nov 22).

       Gue Teck said Anwar should have been praised for leading Pakatan into a landslide victory during the 14th general election.

       "The same party, which is now blaming Anwar, had never commended him for unseating Barisan Nasional in GE14," he said.

       The PKR grassroots also voiced their regret against those who blamed Anwar.

       Azlan Othman, 54, said Pakatan’s state election machinery had failed to systematically organise the campaign trails for contenders.

       "Most of them were clueless on what to do; why is the Melaka Pakatan chief not taking the blame for not achieving the desired results in the polls," he asked.

       Azlan said the problem lies on the weakness in Pakatan's state election council, and not Anwar.

       He claimed the state Pakatan leaders were not organised, especially in terms of logistics, to reach out to the constituents during the campaigning period.

       "They also lacked the synergy to achieve a common goal during the meetings prior to the Nov 20 polls.

       "PKR was also not aware of Amanah’s campaign schedules and all of us failed to work collectively," he said.

       Another Melaka PKR member Md Yusof Abdullah said DAP too should shoulder the blame for the mediocre performance in the just concluded election.

       "You (DAP) were part of the team and now gradually place the blame on Anwar.

       "Every leader in Pakatan should take the responsibility, including those in the state," he said.

       Another member, who requested anonymity, said it was not surprising for DAP to pin the blame on Anwar.

       "It’s a smart way to get sympathy and now they have successfully embedded the notion among grassroots supporters that the defeat was caused by the defection of two Umno assemblymen who later contested under Pakatan’s banner and lost.

       "The theory of accepting party-hoppers has yet to be proven until the outcome of the post-mortem on Pakatan’s performance," he added.