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The PAS decision not to make public its Islamic State blueprint most disappointing, as it breaches the undertaking given by PAS leaders to BA leaders before DAP’s pull-out of the Opposition front as well as repeated public pledges by Pas leaders in the past two years Media Conference Statement (2) - at the launch of the  Love Malaysia/Defend Secular Malaysia campaign at PJ Old Town by Lim Kit Siang (Petaling Jaya,  Wednesday): The PAS decision not to make public its Islamic State blueprint is most disappointing, as it breaches the undertaking given by PAS leaders to Barisan Alternative (BA)  leaders before DAP’s pull-out of the Opposition front as well as repeated public pledges by Pas leaders in the past two years.  In fact, Malaysians are now told  at the recent PAS Muktamar that contrary to public assurances for the past two years, PAS does not have an Islamic state “blueprint” but only general guidelines.  However, even without  the announcement of any “blueprint”, PAS’ concept of an Islamic State is quite clear from the various pronouncements by PAS leaders  in the past that among its  main features are:    Syariah to be the supreme law, superseding the Federal Constitution. The post of Prime Minister is reserved for a Muslim. At the recent PAS Muktamar, PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang reiterated that PAS would come out with two manifestos for the coming general election. As Malaysia is a federation, it is not uncommon for political parties to have two manifestos, one national and the other state when  simultaneous national and state general elections are held.  What is uncommon, controversial and highly objectionable, however,  is for a political party to have two contradictory manifestos, as suggested by PAS, one for Islamic state at state level in its own name and the other silent on Islamic state at the national  level in the name of the Barisan Alternative.  Having  two  such contradictory manifestos on Islamic State violates the 1999 Barisan Alternative Common Manifesto “Towards a Just Malaysia”. After the 1999 general election, DAP leaders had protested strongly  against PAS coming out with a Terengganu state manifesto for an Islamic state in the last few days before polling in the 1999 general election which was in clear conflict with the  BA  common manifesto. This was one of the reasons why  DAP  wanted the BA to address the people’s concerns about the Islamic State issue after the 1999 general election but we found no support from the other BA component parties despite persistent attempts by the DAP in 2000.  As a result, DAP decided to engage PAS in direct discussion on the issue in 2001, where we proposed a five-point position for Barisan Alternative on the Islamic State issue.  When talks broke down between the DAP and PAS leaders on the DAP’s five-point “No Islamic State” formula for the  BA, DAP was left with no choice but to pull out of the opposition front.  The DAP’s five-point ”No Islamic State” proposal for the BA position were:  That the 1999 BA Manifesto “Towards A Just Malaysia”, while respecting the different ideological positions of component parties, binds every party during the duration of the BA to a commitment to uphold and respect the fundamental principles and basic structures of the Malaysian Constitution and to give  the  assurance that there would be no radical change to the Malaysian Constitution such as for the establishment of an Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu  or Christian state. Any effort by any component party to pursue the establishment of an Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu  or Christian state will be against the BA Manifesto. A clear reiteration that under the BA Manifesto, a vote for BA is a vote for democracy, justice and good governance and not a vote for an Islamic State  and PAS agrees that in the duration of the BA, PAS would at all levels of the party join forces with other BA parties to strive for “A Just Malaysia” and not for an Islamic State BA Presidential Council to be given prior notice of any proposed enactment or measure in the Kelantan and Terengganu PAS  state governments which could impinge on the sensitivities of the different religions, communities and political parties to allow for fullest consultation and agreement. A special BA committee to be set up to ensure that controversial or sensitive pronouncements or statements affecting religious and other rights which are against the BA manifesto are only made after prior consultation and to deal with cases of infraction. Although PAS is committed to the objective of an Islamic State,  it accepts the fact that in a plural society like Malaysia, the establishment of an Islamic State is not suitable  or practicable. (17/9/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman