Karpal denies calling for PAS ban, suggests non-Muslim membership

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — DAP’s Karpal Singh denied today calling for PAS to be de-registered, but said that the Islamist ally should allow non-Muslims to become full-fledged party members.

The DAP chairman, who has been under attack for suggesting a ban on religious and race-based professional or political bodies when criticising the Muslim Lawyers Association, stressed that he had said at his press conference on Tuesday that PAS recognised multi-racialism through its non-Muslim PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP) wing, unlike Barisan Nasional component parties, Umno, MCA and MIC.

“I did not bring PAS into the net I had cast against political parties and professional bodies set up along racial lines,” Karpal said in a statement today.

“PAS should show its sincerity by opening its doors to the DHPP as full-fledged members in the party. Far from being de-registered, such a move will bring it into the fold of multiracial political parties in the country,” he added.

Unlike PAS’ ulama, youth and women’s wings, DHPP members are not allowed to vote in party elections.

PAS, however, had fielded several non-Muslim candidates in Election 2013, such as DHPP chairman Hu Pang Chow, who is a Christian, in the Ayer Hitam federal seat in Johor, an Indian candidate in the Tiram state seat in Johor, and a Chinese candidate in the Asahan state seat in Malacca.

Karpal’s call for a ban on professional and political bodies formed along racial lines had upset PAS, with its information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man saying that the lawyer’s remarks could hurt ties between both allies in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact.

Karpal pointed out today PAS’ fielding of non-Muslim candidates in the May 5 polls, and quoted PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub as saying last October that the DHPP is a “good way for us to position ourselves among non-Muslims”.

The veteran lawyer also noted that DHPP secretary, K. Deepakaran, had, last Wednesday, urged party member against viewing the DHPP with suspicion, quoting him as saying: “PAS was only for Muslims but now PAS is open to all those who want to be part of the struggle for Islam”.

“I have stated the truth. Demands for an apology by so-called PAS leaders will not be met. That much, I assure them,” said Karpal.

“I did not ask for PAS to be deregistered but in fact threw it a lifeline by publicly stating that PAS realised the necessity of multi-racialism by having the DHPP unlike Umno, MCA and MIC which were unadulterated racist parties which required to be de-registered,” he added.

Karpal also maintained his call for the de-registration of the MLA, which he said had engaged in “criminal intimidation” against the Bar Council by warning it not to side with the Catholic Church in its appeal to the Federal Court for the right to refer to God as “Allah”.

“I stand firmly over my call for the de-registration of the Muslim Lawyers Association, which was formed in 1988 at the height of the Tun Salleh Abas dismissal, obviously with full support from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was then the prime minister, which led members from that association to assemble and demonstrate quite violently in front of the Bar Council office near the Masjid Jamek station,” said Karpal.

The veteran lawyer was referring to the sacking of former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas in the 1988 constitutional crisis during Dr Mahathir’s administration.