KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 ― In what seems to be a tit-for-tat move, the Federal Territories chapter of PAS said today it will sever ties with the Federal Territories DAP unless its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ally retracts its “insult” against Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

The Islamist party’s FT chief Mohamad Noor Mohamad said he was still keen to work with the DAP chapter but warned their leaders not to push their luck further.

“We ask DAP to retract their imbecilic statement against Hadi if they want to remain in PR.

“How can, on the basis of camaraderie in the party, you insult a fellow coalition member’s president?” Mohamad asked during a news conference here, referring to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s recent remarks.

Lim had labelled the PAS president as “dishonest” and “dishonourable” in a statement following the DAP’s central executive committee’s decision Monday to cut ties with Hadi, even as it chose to remain in the three-party federal opposition alliance.

Mohamad questioned Lim’s remarks, saying it showed political subterfuge with PAS headed to an internal leadership election in June.

“We see DAP’s statement as a hidden agenda to campaign for someone else in the party for the next president,” he said.

He also pointed out that it was impossible for the DAP to cut off ties with just Hadi and not the rest of the party.

“How can you sever relationships with Hadi but not PAS? Hadi is the face of PAS,” he said.
“Only stupid people will say such a thing,” he added.

“Many of our friends did things that was not PAS’s fight or liking but we did not stage a roadshow or oppose.

‘When PKR announced Baru Bian as Sarawak chief minister candidate, we accepted it though it was not discussed.

“When Penang announced the local council elections which was not discussed with PAS, we did not throw a tantrum…we just want our party friends to respect PAS and respect our decision pertaining to hudud,” he added.

Mohamad Noor said that the hudud Bill was in existence even before PR came into being and therefore, the issue pertaining to the Sharia Penal Code has always been “PAS’ business”.

“There was a tabling of motion in the Dewan Rakyat in the 90’s for hudud by PAS through Hadi Awang who was the Marang MP and this was before PR was formed and so, issues relating to Sharia-related crimes have always been PAS’ business,” he said.

PAS-ruled Kelantan passed key amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 earlier this month  in a move to enable the eventual implementation of hudud in the Malay-majority east coast state.

All 12 Umno state lawmakers voted for the amendments but the ruling party’s national leadership has yet to declare if the same support would be given to PAS’s hudud ambition at the federal level.

The Islamist party’s president Abdul Hadi  is also seeking to table a private member’s bill in Parliament to allow Kelantan to enforce the Islamic penal code, which the DAP argues goes against the secular nature of the Federal Constitution.