Pakatan is 'dead'

PETALING JAYA: The DAP today declared that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) which groups the party, PKR and PAS is no more.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the decision of the PAS muktamar to sever ties with the DAP had "killed" the coalition.

The DAP central executive committee, at a meeting on Tuesday , was unanimous in regarding the PR as no longer existing.

"As PR was formed by the three parties based on consensus and bound by the Common Policy Framework, the PAS Muktamar's motion effectively killed off PR. Pakatan Rakyat therefore ceases to exist," Lim said in a statement today.

PR, a loose coalition, was formed on 1 April 2008 by the DAP, PAS and PKR after the 12th General Election.

Early this month, the 61st PAS general assembly passed a resolution calling for the severing of ties with the DAP after the DAP had officially cut ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

The DAP cut ties with Abdul Hadi after claiming that the latter failed to discuss with the other PR members on PAS' plan to proceed with the implementation of the 'hudud' law in Kelantan.

PAS, on the other hand, had claimed that DAP leaders had attacked Abdul Hadi's leadership, prompting the party to sever ties with the DAP.

"This breach of promise by Hadi was followed by the momentous decision on June 6 when the PAS muktamar, the general assembly and the highest authority of the party, accepted without debate a motion to sever ties with the DAP," Lim said.

He also said that the breach of promise made personally by Abdul Hadi at the PR Leadership Council meeting on Feb 10 to discuss the hudud law proposed by PAS first with PR partners at the council meeting before being tabled to the Kelantan State Assembly or a private motion by Abdul Hadi in Parliament further immobilised the entire PR Leadership Council.

"The near-paralysis of PR was exacerbated by Hadi's willingness to forge a unity government with UMNO and his support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak," Lim claimed.

The DAP secretary-general also cited several major incidents over the past years, including the Selangor mentri besar crisis, and decisions agreed upon at the PR Leadership Council that were violated by Abdul Hadi as having resulted in the near-paralysis of the coalition.
The DAP, he said, would continue to work with PKR and others with the aim to win Putrajaya in the next general election.

"The immediate effect on the Selangor state government will be DAP's support for the leadership of Mentri Besar (Mohamed) Azmin Ali to reframe the state government with a new functioning coalition," he said.
The state governments of Selangor, Penang and Kelantan are administered by the PR which the DAP claims has ceased to exist.

In the 56-seat Selangor state legislative assembly, the DAP and PAS have 15 seats each and PKR, 13. The Barisan Nasional (BN) has 12 seats.

In the 40-seat Penang state legislative assembly, the DAP has 19 seats; PKR, 10 and PAS, one. The BN has 10 seats.

In the 45-seat Kelantan state legislative assembly, PAS has 32 seats and PKR, one. The BN has 12 seats.

Meanwhile, PAS Youth Chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said that PAS is still part of Pakatan Rakyat.
"DAP is free to make their own discussions... but it is not to disassemble PR," he said, adding that the final decision to dissolve the coalition have to be agreed upon by all three parties.
The Pasir Mas MP added that even if there are two parties within PR, the coalition will continue to exist.

Meanwhile, in a press conference in parliament, PKR strategic director Sim Tze Tzin said that the party "saw this coming".
"But PR will rise like phoenix from the ashes," he said.
He noted that the party's political bureau will have a discussion to discuss the matter and will issue a statement.

"We will have a clearer picture after the discussion," the Bayan Baru MP said.

A few minutes later, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli confirmed that the party is aware of DAP's statement and affirmed the party's political bureau meeting in its headquarters.

"All PKR leadership of all levels will not issue any statements until the party's stand on the matter is finalised," he said. – Bernama