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I am withdrawing the proposal of exploring the possibility of a merger between DAP and Keadilan if the latter leaves the BA, ends its subservience to PAS Islamic State and signs up in the movement to defend 46-year Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a secular democracy with Islam as official religion but not an Islamic State, whether ala-PAS or ala-UMNO Media Conference Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh, Monday): I am withdrawing the proposal of exploring the possibility of a merger between DAP and Keadilan if the latter leaves the Barisan Alternative, ends its subservience to PAS Islamic State and signs up in the movement to defend 46-year Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a secular democracy with Islam as official religion but not an Islamic State, whether ala-PAS or ala-UMNO. I had clarified right from the beginning that this was my personal idea and was not a DAP stand as it had not been discussed by the party leadership, and that I had thrown up the idea as a response to the 2004 general election result which had allowed the Barisan Nasional to commandeer the unprecedented and most dangerous nine-tenth parliamentary majority, with the Opposition in Parliament weakest ever in terms of number of representation in the 46-year history of Malaysia, particularly on the urgent need to shore up democracy from further erosion and to defend and preserve the Merdeka “social contract”. Although the DAP had succeeded in the objective to make Perak the second front-line state to create a “beach-head” in Kinta Valley to send the clear and unmistakable message to the Barisan Nasional, the nation and the world that Malaysians want firstly, to see the preservation and not the abandonment of the Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a democratic, secular and multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State, whether ala-PAS or ala-UMNO; and secondly, an end to the spiral of competition in the past five years between UMNO and PAS to out-Islamise and out-Islamic State each other, it is only the start of a long political journey. There are now 12 DAP MPs who stand unequivocably for the Merdeka “social contract’ of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State, but this is only five per cent of the 219-member Parliament. As DAP is the only political party whether in government or opposition which unequivocally stands for the Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic State, there is a long and arduous political journey ahead to convince the majority of Malaysians, whether political parties, the civil society or Malaysians, Malays and non-Malays, to return to the founding nation-building principles agreed by the major communities on the nation’s attainment of Independence in 1957. In the political arena, Malaysians who want to salvage the Merdeka “social contract” must aim to achieve the following targets:
My personal idea of the possibility of exploring a merger between DAP and Keadilan if the latter could extricate from subservience of PAS Islamic State and sign up in the ranks of the defenders and upholders of the Merdeka “social contract” of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion has been caught in the crosshair of fire. On the one hand, there has been a firestorm of protest and outrage by DAP members, supporters and voters at such a possibility, although there was also support although from a very small minority, while on the other hand, the negative and shocking responses from some Keadilan leaders. Keadilan National Vice President, Tian Chua, has reiterated that Keadilan will not leave the Barisan Alternative, which means that there is no condition or basis for even considering the possibility of the merger idea, as the indispensable condition is Keadilan’s clear stand to oppose turning Malaysia into an Islamic State. Two other Keadilan leaders, Mohd Ezam and Mohd Azmin Ali alleged that I am trying to divert national attention from the most chaotic and disgraceful conduct of the 2004 general election, as if I am trying to help the Election Commission to cover up its shocking flaws and failures – when I was the first to call for the resignation of the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Rashid, apart from calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry and the impeachment of Rashid in Parliament if he refuses to resign. Another Keadilan leader alleged that I was trying to “swallow” up Keadilan with my merger proposal while there was the even more ludicrous allegation that the DAP had teamed up with UMNO to “finish off” PAS and Keadilan. In view of these unworthy and dishonourable reactions, imputations and allegations questioning my very motives, I am withdrawing my idea about exploring the merger proposal if Keadilan leaves the BA, ends its subservience to PAS Islamic State and signs up in the movement to defend the 46-year Merdeka “social contract”. * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman & MP for Ipoh Timor |