Blog by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, 30^th January 2010: 

Pakatan Rakyat disciplinary committee must meet to restore public confidence in the discipline, commitment, cohesion and unity of Pakatan Rakyat

Pakatan Rakyat won a renewal of public confidence and trust with the successful holding of the Pakatan Rakyat national convention in Shah Alam on Dec. 19 last year and the demonstration of greater responsibility and maturity as compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional in the response to the “Allah” controversy which had further marred the image and reputation of Malaysia, both locally and internationally, since the new year.

But in a matter of days, these hard-won gains for the Pakatan Rakyat were largely undone not by the acts of our political adversaries but by the deeds of Pakatan Rakyat standard-bearers.

As a result, there is now a new round of public questioning as to whether Pakatan Rakyat can be trusted with the great responsibility of federal power in the next general elections.

This internal haemorrhaging, at a time when the Umno-led Barisan Nasional is intensifying its political offensive with a new round of abuses of the national institutions and instruments, must end.

This will be the challenge of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council when it meets tomorrow.

Since the last quarter of the year, the subject of a Pakatan Rakyat disciplinary committee had been on the agenda of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council.

The PR disciplinary committee, with two members from each party, must meet to restore public confidence in the discipline, commitment, cohesion and unity of Pakatan Rakyat.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor