Malaysia
Pakatan is no more, DAP declares
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng speaking to the press on August 2, 2013. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by K.E. Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 ― The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition formed in 2008 after the 12th general election is now officially dead, the DAP declared today when saying the matter was decided and agreed upon by the party's central executive committee last night.

In a statement, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng blamed Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for the death of the coalition, saying the PAS president's recent actions as well as the PAS Muktamar's decision to sever ties with DAP meant PR's Common Policy Framework (CPF) was broken.

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“The DAP central executive committee accepts the PAS Muktamar's motion severing ties with DAP and effectively, that Pakatan Rakyat ceases to exist,” Lim said.

“The DAP will work with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and all other forces who aspire to see the end of UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s one-party rule to reshape and realign Malaysian politics with the aim of winning Putrajaya for the people,” the Bagan MP added.

Lim pointed out that Hadi actions in the past ― such as his willingness to forge a unity government with Umno and his support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak even after it was revealed that Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) funds were used to purchase land from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) ― showed that it was impossible to maintain a political relationship with the Islamist party.

“The breach of promise made personally by Hadi at the Pakatan Rakyat Majlis Pimpinan (PR presidential council) on February 10 to discuss the hudud laws proposed by PAS first with Pakatan Rakyat partners at Majlis Pimpinan before being tabled to the Kelantan State Assembly or a private motion by Hadi in Parliament further immobilised the entire Pakatan Rakyat Majlis Pimpinan,” Lim added, referring to the PAS chief's tabling a private member's bill on hudud in Parliament.

Lim pointed out that the immediate effect of PR's death as a coalition would be on the Selangor government where DAP will now push Mentri Besar Azmin Ali to “reframe the state government” with a new functioning coalition based on the PR Common Policy and the Selangor PR 2013 General Election manifesto.

“DAP will work towards a broad based and principled new coalition that shall emerge to fill the political vacuum that can rekindle hopes of change to realise our Malaysian dream for a better future for all,” he said.

Yesterday, PKR president  Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged PR parties to review its internal relationships to strengthen the pact’s “progressive” parties.

She also said PKR acknowledges that there are currently problems within PR that demand immediate attention, but did not specify what she meant by those problems.

Dr Wan Azizah’s remarks come amid plans by Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) to officially join PR as a political party and replace PAS.

PAS had on June 6 confirmed its decision to sever ties with DAP while still remaining in PR with PKR, after its motion to do so was approved without debate.

The two parties have been openly hostile over PAS’s ambition to enforce hudud in Kelantan.

The development drove DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang to declare PR dead and awaiting “funeral rites”.

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