DAP is angered by PAS Hudud move in Kelantan, said Lim Guan Eng.
The DAP today issued a strongly worded statement condemning PAS’s Hudud amendment in Kelantan, saying that the Islamic party had fallen into “UMNO’s trap” to betray the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) consensus.
“By falling into UMNO’s trap to betray PR’s consensus and common policy in passing hudud laws in the Kelantan State Assembly, PAS Kelantan may have destroyed its electoral prospects in Kelantan but it has brought closer UMNO’s dreams of destroying PR,” said DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng in a statement.
On 27 March 2014, UMNO Minister in the Prime Minister’s department had said that the Barisan Nasional government was prepared to assist Kelantan PAS to implement Hudud laws, which Lim says was an act of instigation by UMNO.
“Why should MCA and Gerakan blame PAS alone, but dare not adopt former MCA Deputy Minister Datuk Gan Ping Shieu’s suggestion to punish UMNO by severing ties, when UMNO not only supported PAS but instigated PAS to implement hudud?” asked Lim.
Earlier today, MCA had protested at the DAP headquarters at Jalan Yew, Kuala Lumpur, demanding that all DAP MP’s and State Assemblymen resign for “not being able to control PAS” by preventing the Hudud bill amendment in Kelantan – which was also seconded by all UMNO MP’s in the state.
Lim said that since UMNO had supported the amendment, Hudud is no longer an issue PAS has against UMNO in Kelantan.
He said that UMNO can now steer the people’s focus on BN’s main asset of bringing development to the state, contrary to PAS’s poor governance which was highlighted during the floods that hit Kelantan – the worst flood hit East Coast state.
“Even the Merdeka Centre survey showed that 81% Malay/Muslim respondents think that the Kelantan state government should concentrate on repairing and rebuilding homes of flood victims rather than on implementing hudud,” said Lim, who added that there is no substitute of good governance.
“This 81% Malay/Muslim support for flood rescue and repairs over hudud laws is in line with Merdeka Center’s previous survey in April 2014, that a majority (58%) of Malay respondents thought that the country is not ready for hudud implementation,” he said.
According to Lim, non-Muslim support for PAS had completely disappeared following the Hudud move.
He added that though DAP leaders were angered by pro-UMNO supporters within PAS, it was not directed at all PAS supporters, most of whom he said were “generally principled and honest”.
On Monday, DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the party’s position vis-à-vis PAS.
“In the democratic spirit, the national leadership will allow party leaders at state and national levels to express their views on this matter privately or publicly to be discussed at the Monday night meeting,” he added.
-The Rocket
