KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Pakatan Harapan will embrace the defence of Malay and Islamic interests in the federal opposition pact’s official agreement, signalling its intent to confront Umno directly.
In the pact’s soon-to-be-signed agreement, prominent pledges were made to protect the special position of the Malays, the Malay Rulers, Islam as the religion of the federation, and Bahasa Malaysia — the same provisions of the Federal Constitution that Umno considers its main “thrusts”.
The agreement, which will be signed by PKR, the DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) tomorrow, also detailed a complaints mechanism to resolve disputes such as those that caused the breakup of its predecessor, Pakatan Rakyat.
“Pakatan Harapan’s Common Policies will be created by taking into account the cooperation of all three parties in the following matters,” read Clause 4.5 on “Common Policies” of the Pakatan Harapan Agreement that was sighted by Malay Mail Online.
“Defending the Federal Constitution, Islam is the religion of the federation and other religions can be practised in peace and harmony in this country in line with Article 3; as well as protecting the special position of the Malays and the Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other races in line with Article 153.”
Other parts of the agreement included professing to defend the institution of the monarchy as well as upholding the use of Bahasa Malaysia — while safeguarding the right to vernacular tongues — with an eye on improving competency in English to boost the country’s competitiveness against other countries.
Sabah and Sarawak also featured in the pact, with Pakatan Harapan pledging to acknowledge the position of both states within the federation in a manner consistent with the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.
The contents of the agreement appeared designed to counter allegations against the member parties — particularly the mainly Chinese DAP — of being anti-Malay and Islam, which continue to linger despite repeated denials.
Umno vice-president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in 2014 that the Malay nationalist party defended the four so-called “key thrusts” of the “social contract” — Malay privileges, the Malay Rulers, Islam and the national language — claiming that these have been belittled.
As with the preceding Pakatan Rakyat, the Pakatan Harapan Agreement stated that decision-making would be via consensus, but member parties were free to set their own policies as long as these did not violate the agreement and the coalition’s common policies.
Clause 3.2 said only member parties, and not individuals, could bring complaints to Pakatan Harapan if they felt that party policies were not respected, or if any differences in opinion were expressed outside the pact’s internal channels until such actions maligned the complainant.
The Pakatan Harapan Agreement said the Presidential Council would appoint a Mediation Body comprising a representative from each member party to handle complaints.
The Mediation Body could recommend actions to resolve the conflict, but it was up to member parties to decide on whether to take up such suggestions.
According to the Pakatan Harapan Agreement, member parties were prohibited from negotiating on their own with other parties outside the coalition on matters related to elections, unless the Presidential Council was informed first.
Member parties were also forbidden from independently negotiating with other parties after elections about “any matters”, including the formation of government, without first informing the Presidential Council.
Violation of the Pakatan Harapan Agreement by any party allows the remaining members to expel the offender via unanimous decision, according to Clause 7.2.
Pakatan Rakyat, which broke up after public disagreements between PAS and the DAP over hudud and other issues, did not have a formal agreement on engagements with each other.
Pakatan Harapan, comprising PKR, the DAP and Amanah, a splinter group of Muslim progressives who left PAS, was formed in September during an impromptu announcement by PKR president and federal opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
