Karpal tells PAS to evaluate position within Pakatan

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh has asked PAS to reassess its position in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) following its intentions to initiate unity talks with Umno.

Indicating the party has limits to its patience, Karpal said PAS should not push its agenda, which adversely affected the pact.

“PAS embarking upon unity talks with Umno is a serious disservice to the sincerity expected of PAS as a component of PR,” he said in a statement today.

Karpal said PAS should realise that it was not the dominant party in the coalition, as it had only 24 seats in Parliament compared to the 28 held by the DAP and 31 by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

He stressed PAS should not overextend itself by making statements, particularly through its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to initiate unity talks with Umno.

Karpal Singh also refuted Hadi’s statement that the DAP had agreed to unity talks with Umno as the latter had publicly stated.

“Hadi has chosen to mislead not only PAS members and leaders, but also the rakyat. Publicly committing deception on the people does not gain Hadi any brownie points,” he said.

On the open attack by PAS on Sisters-In-Islam (SIS), Karpal said the action did not endear PAS to those who supported it in the March general election, and neither did PAS’ insistence that female journalists covering its 55th Muktamar recently be “properly” dressed.

Moreover, the insistence by PAS leaders that Malaysia would be turned into an Islamic state if it came to power was a flagrant and outrageous affront to the Federal Constitution, which specifically proclaims Malaysia to be a secular state, with Islam as the official religion, Karpal said. — Bernama