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Friday 3 July 2009

Anwar Denies Kedah DAP Withdrawal From State Pakatan Government

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 (Bernama) -- Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed media reports that Kedah DAP had withdrawn from the Pakatan state government yesterday over dissatisfaction with the Kedah PAS administration.

Anwar, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor, instead blamed the media for playing up the issue and said it would not affect the cooperation among the three Pakatan parties, PAS, DAP and PKR.

"This is what the media, your newspapers, raised (on the Kedah DAP issue). There are many differences on many matters within the Barisan Nasional (BN) but these are not played up. Pakatan Rakyat is a poor pact, without any large media. That's the difference," he told reporters at the lobby of Parliament, here.

Anwar, who is the MP for Permatang Pauh, said he believed that the problem in Kedah could be resolved through discussions in an atmosphere of goodwill among the parties.

Kedah's DAP yesterday announced it was withdrawing from the Pakatan state government over dissatisfaction with the state PAS administration, among others for having demolished an illegal abattoir for pigs in Kampung Berjaya.

Asked whether he had known of the decision of Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak to demolish the abattoir, Anwar said he had been informed and knew that the abattoir would be relocated.

Meanwhile, PKR election director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Kedah DAP issue was not a major one.

"We have faced a statement by (DAP chairman) Karpal Singh calling on Anwar to resign; that was a much bigger issue. These are all processes which will enable us to mature," he said.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said he was awaiting a full report from Kedah DAP and said the matter was not serious.

"We have to wait for the report from Kedah DAP on this matter and I will go to Kedah to meet them," he said.

Karpal Singh said the issue could be resolved.

"I do not think the problem is so serious as to split the opposition pact," he said.

Meanwhile, Kubang Kerian MP and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayob, who chaired a meeting of the Pakatan secretariat today, said the decisions adopted would be discussed at the Pakatan presidential council on Saturday.

The meeting had also discussed the Kedah DAP issue, he said, adding that the matter could be resolved.

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