DAP cuts ties with PAS president

PETALING JAYA: DAP today said it will end all ties and cease working with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang whom the party categorised as a person who "persists in dishonest and dishonourable acts".
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement said the DAP has lost trust and confidence in Hadi as a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader and will end ties and cease to work with him.
"As Hadi is the PAS leader in PR, DAP's decision to end all ties with Hadi will effectively put the Majlis Pimpinan or the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council in limbo."
Lim said DAP will meet the PKR leadership to discuss the future course of Pakatan Rakyat.
This stand was taken by DAP Central Executive Council following a meeting it convened on Monday night.
Lim said the party opposes the implementation of hudud laws because it is unconstitutional.
Furthermore, he added, Malaysians who supported PAS in the last General Election did not vote for the implementation of hudud but for the Common Policy Framework.
"Therefore, all 37 DAP MPs will oppose the Private Member's Bill on hudud submitted by Hadi," Lim said.
He said DAP deplores the dishonest and dishonourable acts of Hadi of co-operating with Umno to violate this spirit of consensus as well as the Common Policy Framework that has jeopardised Pakatan Rakyat such as:-
i. Hadi's betrayal of the collective decision made by the Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat on the nomination of Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Pakatan Rakyat's sole candidate for the position of Mentri Besar of Selangor, which resulted in a full blown and protracted crisis that threatened to bring down the Pakatan's Selangor Government;
ii. Hadi's failure to honour his own words during the Majlis Pimpinan PR on Feb 8 that the Enakmen Kanun Jenayah Syariah II Kelantan 2015 would be discussed at future Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat meetings;
iii. Hadi's submission of Private Member's Bill on 18 March 2015 without presenting it to the PAS Central Committee and Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat.
Lim said that Umno has instigated PAS to implement hudud laws in Kelantan on 27 March 2014 in Parliament by promising Federal Government support.
"DAP urges the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak not to make any further delays in making a clear and unequivocal stand on whether to oppose or support the hudud enactment in Kelantan, as well as clarify the role of Umno Kelantan State Assemblymen in supporting the hudud bill. Najib must also declare whether he supports the Private Member's Bill tabled by Hadi," he added.
The meeting on Monday night also saw DAP CEC unanimously reaffirming its commitment to PR as the governing coalition that embodies the aspirations of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion and creed, who aspires to build a new Malaysia based on the fundamental values of freedom, justice, democracy, integrity and human dignity.
It also reiterated that the PR coalition parties must adhere to the spirit of the Common Policy Framework operating through the spirit of consensus centred on trust and mutual respect in the Majlis Pimpinan PR (PR Leadership Council).
Meanwhile, Gerakan Youth Chief, Tan Keng Liang is of the opinion that the severance of ties by DAP with Hadi is meaningless and merely a political drama.
He said both DAP and PAS will still continue to work together within Pakatan as DAP has not taken any step to remove PAS or Hadi from Pakatan.
Meanwhile, in SHAH ALAM, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said DAP should give Hadi the chance to explain the controversial hudud law at the Pakatan Leadership Council meeting.
Azmin, who is Selangor Mentri Besar, said leaders in Pakatan should be fair to everyone before coming out with premature actions.
Azmin added the strength of Pakatan is based on its consensus and he is confident that the coalition could rectify the issue through the leadership meeting.
"We need to discuss ... the strength of Pakatan is through discussion and its practice of consensus. We must be fair to Hadi and allow him to give an explanation," Azmin told reporters after officiating the "Program Hijrah Selangor" here.
Azmin added PAS' decision to table the hudud bill in Parliament is based on personal interest but not the consensus of Pakatan.
"I think Hadi must be present in the (Leadership Council) meeting to explain the issues raised by DAP, and PKR also would like to know why he acted based on personal decisions," Azmin said.
Azmin added the tussle between PAS and DAP has not affected the relationship of the coalition.
"There is no crack in Pakatan, I always believe that any problem can be rectified peacefully," Azmin said.
When asked about the details of the Pakatan leadership council meeting, Azmin said they have yet to fix the date.