KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 ─ Pakatan Rakyat today moved to assure Malaysians that it would walk the middle path and build a country which would be welcoming to Malays, Chinese and Indians.
The alliance was forced to issue a statement after discordant views from PAS and DAP over the past week seemed to throw some doubt into the long-term survival of PR. Worse yet, the debate over whether Malaysia is an Islamic state or a secular one has given Barisan Nasional politicians some bullets to discredit the new alliance.
The statement, issued by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang, made clear that all the leaders of the parties had agreed on the central principles which would govern the pact.
“Among these are to develop this country on the basis of justice, create opportunities for all citizens to enjoy national prosperity and to accord priority to those who are poor and marginalised.
“Pakatan Rakyat is not the forum nor is it the place for any group or individual to champion personal ideologies or that of its component parties. Although there have been individuals who express personal views that differ from the agreed agenda of Pakatan Rakyat, those views are clearly personal.
“They do not represent that of any of the parties in Pakatan Rakyat. As such, all leaders and members of Pakatan Rakyat have been directed to desist from expressing views that contradict those that have been mutually agreed upon by Pakatan Rakyat,” said the statement.
In recent days, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and DAP strongman Karpal Singh have been involved in a public spat over whether Malaysia is an Islamic country. DAP has maintained that the Federal Constitution says that Islam is the official religion of the country but Malaysia is a secular country.
DAP’s assertions have been rebuffed by PAS leaders. On Thursday, PAS’s Datuk Harun Din, answering a hypothetical question, said that if PAS took control of the Federal government, it would consider amending the constitution and turning Malaysia into an Islamic state. This statement invited howls of protests from MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting. He accused the DAP of duping Chinese voters.
Today’s statement by Pakatan Rakyat is aimed at containing any fallout from this disagreement between PAS and DAP and a reminder that despite the many strides they have made since March 8, there is still some way for PR to go before it can smoothen all the rough edges of this pact.
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