Pakatan to activate disciplinary committee

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (left) speaking at Pakatan Rakyat’s Presidential Council meeting press conference today. — Picture by Jack Ooi

By Adib Zalkapli and Neville Spykerman - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, Jan 31 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today that Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) disciplinary committee has been asked to meet soon to address various issues affecting the three party coalition.

The move was announced after a PR presidential council meeting and was made amid various internal bickering among its leaders.

“We have asked that the disciplinary committee that was formed to convene as soon as possible to ensure smooth cooperation between PR leaders at every level and to handle other disciplinary matters,” said Anwar.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the PR disciplinary committee was formed after the beer dispute between two Selangor executive councillors, Datuk Hasan Ali of PAS and DAP’s Ronnie Liu, last year.

The committee consists of two senior leaders from each PR party.

Earlier today Anwar announced that Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim will join Zulkifli Noordin and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to face the disciplinary committee.

Zahrain had called Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng “dictator” and “communist-minded”, while Zaid had criticised the party for not taking action against Zulkifli who lodged a police report against PAS MP Khalid Samad over the “Allah” row.

Zahrain is also said to be leading a group of would-be defectors from PKR to help Barisan Nasional (BN) regain its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Today’s two-hour PR presidential council meeting was also attended by PAS’s Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.

Meanwhile Lim said he accepts PKR’s decision to refer Zahrain to the disciplinary committee.

“The incident in Penang is a great concern among the people, today’s meeting was a full and frank discussion and we fully respect PKR’s right to take disciplinary action,” Lim told reporters.

The DAP veteran had called for the formation of PR disciplinary committee soon after Zahrain’s outburst.