KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — PAS has called for greater unity in Pakatan Rakyat amid what it described as a police crackdown on opposition leaders, amid worsening ties between the opposition pact over the Islamist party’s hudud plans in Kelantan.
The Kelantan state government reportedly plans to table amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 at the state legislative assembly tomorrow- a move which could possibly break up PR due to DAP and PKR’s opposition to hudud.
In a statement, PAS Vice-President Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the pact needed to stick together despite their differences to face the government onslaught.
“Pakatan Rakyat must continue its work of exposing the power abuse and mismanagement within the Barisan Nasional (government), and know that these two issues will be the key fodder to get the people to help us defeat BN.
“Pakatan Rakyat must continue to unite regardless of our differences. These differences are only little and we need not fear or augment them,” he said.
The statement was made following the arrest of opposition lawmakers in the past few days, the latest being PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar who was detained overnight for a speech she made in Parliament last week.
In her speech, Nurul Izzah criticised the government for jailing her father and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Tuan Ibrahim said PAS condemned the arrest and alleged the crackdown was aimed at distracting voters from the corruption allegations leveled against the government, namely the 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
The state investment arm’s liability now stood at RM40 billion and the issue has attracted public attention.
“PAS believes the arrest of Nurul Izzab and the opposition lineup on grounds that their involvement in the #KitaLawan rally is only an attempt to divert public attention from the problems in Umno and the 1MDB issue,” he said.
The PAS vice president then said PR should keep the offensive momentum going and not allow their differences affect their common goal of ousting BN.
“Let us augment the issues of BN power abuse and make small our differences. We must unite to uphold justice and overcome tyranny”.
Several PR leaders have said that a break up of the opposition coalition was imminent if PAS is insistent on having hudud in Kelantan.
If the amendments are passed, PAS will then table two Private Members Bills in the Dewan Rakyat to seek amendments to the Federal Constitution and allow hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.
Details of the proposed amendments, however, have not been made public nor did the PAS-led state administration share copies of the bill with their PR partners until this week.
Despite their persistence, PAS leaders said they remain committed to PR and urged its allies to allow them to proceed with its hudud plan.
