No cause for dejection or despondency over the death of Pakatan Rakyat –there must instead be greater resolve and commitment to pursue the inclusive Malaysian Dream of unity, justice, dignity and prosperity for all Malaysians through a new political realignment

There is all-round disappointment at the death of Pakatan Rakyat, but this is no cause for dejection or despondency when there must instead be greater resolve and commitment to pursue the inclusive Malaysian Dream of unity, justice, dignity and prosperity of all Malaysians in the 14th General Election.

Although the seven-year Pakatan Rakyat political struggle has come to an end because of the serious breaches of the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework (CPF) by the PAS leadership, we believe that the ideals and vision of a new Malaysia where there is national unity, inter-racial and inter-religious understanding and respect, justice, accountability, good governance, end to corruption and abuses of power, human dignity, good schools, hospitals, housing, transportation system and safe environment for all Malaysians, must remain the primary objectives of the 14th General Elections.

For this purpose, the DAP will work with all like-minded political parties and political forces to bring about a new political alignment committed to these very same principles and vision of a Malaysian Dream.

We in the DAP will not work with PAS leaders who had violated the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework (CPF) but we are prepared to work with political forces and Malaysians committed to the PR CPF, including PAS members at various party levels who have not forsaken or repudiated the PR CPF.

DAP has no time for political charades like the PAS Muktamar resolution severing ties with DAP and the call by PAS UIama head, Datuk Dr. Mahfodz Mohamad urging the PAS Shura Council to meet soon to discuss the Muktamar motion, when the new Shura Council has not even been formed yet!

Datuk Harun Din himself said after the Muktamar that he was no longer Mursyidul Am PAS until the Shura Council is reconstituted.

The appearance of the private member’s bill motion by the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on the implementation of hudud on the parliamentary order paper in in the last two days of Parliament, which ends today, is symptomatic of two things:

(i) Hadi being rewarded for his change of political posture, where UMNO was referred to in very respectful terms while DAP is demonized with rough language at the PAS Muktamar; and

(ii) Hadi being played out by UMNO which has neither intention nor ability to deliver at the national and parliamentary level support for hudud implementation which would immediately antagonize and alienate the 48 BN MPs in Sabah and Sarawak, precipitating not only the risk of the survival of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister but the very survival and unity of Malaysia.

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah