Pending the outcome of a meeting of Pakatan Rakyat top leaders on Wednesday, the secretaries-general of the three component parties have assurerd that the coalition will not collapse because of the proposal to implement hudud law in Kelantan.
They have also urged all Pakatan leaders to stop discussing the contentious issue openly until it is resolved at the meeting.
"If that is the objective of Umno (to split Pakatan), it will not be achieved because our cooperation this time is stronger and more mature," PKR secretary- general Saifuddin Nasution (in dark blue shirt) told a press conference at PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.
Although Umno has always try to drive a wedge within the coalition, he said, Pakatan has the democratic space to respect different views and the capability to resolve disputes.
Also present were PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali and DAP representative Anthony Loke.
Loke pointed out that hudud law is not a new issue and that the respective position of PAS and DAP has remained the same.
But all three parties have demonstrated that they can work together within Pakatan's common policy framework and jointly administer several states with much success, he said.
He described the controversy as an issue planned by Umno and "sub-contracted" to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohammad to spark a polemic between DAP and PAS.
"Umno's only objective is to split Pakatan before the 13th general election. It has no interest in hudud law. But we will show to the people that Pakatan is here to stay, to challenge BN in the next election," Loke added.
Mustafa also sang the same tune, claiming that Umno has attempted to turn this issue into a 'strategy' to create misunderstanding among Pakatan parties.
"We can't follow their agenda. The issue of Pakatan collapsing does not arise. God willing, we will resolve this issue."
Pakatan top leaders including PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP chairperson Karpal Singh will be at Wednesday's meeting. However, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng will miss it because of official trip abroad.
PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who revived the issue, will also be absent due to poor health.
Each time a dispute has arisen between the Islamic PAS and secular DAP over matters of religion, their supporters have felt concerned that the history of 2001 - which saw the departure of DAP from the opposition coalition Barisan Alternative - will be repeated.
The DAP had quit that three-party coalition over PAS' hardline stance to push its Islamic agenda after it became the largest opposition party following the 1999 general election.
The policies that were unacceptable to DAP, included passage of the Hudud Bill in Terengganu and the announcement to establish an Islamic state if PAS takes over Putrajaya.
Question for MCA
Apart from defending their cooperation, the three secretaries-general lashed out at Umno's hypocrisy in dealing with the issue.
Mustafa claimed that, when PAS-ruled Kelantan passed the hudud Bill in 1993, this had been supported by both the Umno lawmakers in the state assembly.
Saifuddin added that the Syariah Criminal Enactment (or hudud) Bill passed by the PAS-led Terengganu government has remained in place even after BN took over the state in 2004.
"To date, there is no motion by the BN assemblypersons, including a MCA exco, to repeal the enactment.
"So if MCA wants to withdraw from BN, it can withdraw now because the law still exists. This is my question for (MCA president Dr Chua) Soi Lek," he said.
Mustafa also claimed that PAS had put democracy ahead of hudud law when it was forced to make a choice.
According to him, when the Kelantan government passed the hudud Bill, Mahathir had threatened to "take action" against the state government - which, judging by the situation then, meant declaring an emergency and taking over the administration by force.
"It would have stymied democracy. So between the two, we chose democracy. Freedom of expression is more important to the people," Mustafa recalled.
source:malaysiakini
Pakatan tak akan 'tumbang' kerana isu hudud
cheers.
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