Mind your own business, Khalid tells Soi Lek

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — PAS’s Khalid Samad has told Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to mind his own business and not deflect focus on the MCA’s troubles onto the Islamist party ahead of the 13th general election.

The MCA president had shut the door on PAS joining the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition yesterday, ironically telling the opposition party to drop its Islamic principles even as he conceded Datuk Seri Najib Razak had extended the offer again based on the common creed.

“MCA’s stand has been very clear that we will not accept PAS trying to make this country into a theocratic Islamic state. We will not accept that and PM is fully aware of MCA’s stance,” Dr Chua told reporters in Malacca.

Khalid, who is a PAS political bureau member, cast doubt that Dr Chua knew what he was talking about when he raised the matter.

“I doubt very much if CSL knows what he is talking about as what PAS sees as its objectives have never been presented to him before as he has shown little or no interest to find out,” Khalid told The Malaysian Insider in a text message yesterday evening, using the MCA politician’s initials.

“What he envisages as PAS’s political objectives may not be what PAS has in mind. So before setting conditions for accepting PAS, please ensure (1) PAS is even interested being accepted by the MCA and (2) you know what you are talking about,” Khalid said.

The Shah Alam MP advised Dr Chua to pay more attention to the MCA’s sliding popularity among the Chinese community than PAS’s need to be accepted by the MCA.

He said the first issue was a factual problem for the senior partner in the ruling coalition “while the latter is of no concern to anyone, least of all to PAS”.

“If the MCA is rejected by the Chinese community, then its likes or dislikes and its preferences are of no concern to anyone except itself,” Khalid said, noting that even Umno, its BN partner, no longer paid attention to the MCA.

Najib’s invitation follows a call last weekend by Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia for a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” campaign to unite the Malays against what the newspaper said was racial politics by the DAP to stir up Chinese sentiment.

It also continues concerted efforts by Umno post-Election 2008 to get PAS to join forces in the name of Malay-Muslim unity.

The subject of unity talks between PAS and Umno had dominated the 2009 PAS Muktamar, which saw a number of leaders keen on exploring talks with Umno emerge as big winners.

More recently, top PAS and Umno leadership met at a Christmas Eve dinner, hosted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year, during which the subject of Malay unity was once again broached.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider the move then to bring PAS into BN entailed both PAS president Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang and his deputy Nasharuddin Mat Isa being given a prominent role in Putrajaya if the party decides to abandon Pakatan Rakyat (PR), but spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat continues to be the major obstacle in bringing PAS closer to the ruling coalition.

Following the furore over the Christmas Eve meet, Hadi had reassured his partners in PR that the Islamist party was committed to remaining in the pact.