Pakatan leaders side-step quit threat by Penang PAS
Penang Pakatan Rakyat Council (PPRC) chief Lim Guan Eng has asked PKR and PAS to sort out their differences over religious and political matters that were highlighted by the state PAS leadership yesterday.
Penang PAS’ shocking revelation confirmed rumours among political circles that the problem was evidently between PKR and PAS.
Lim, who is also Chief Minister, said `misunderstandings’ between political parties were common and as a democratic government, the parties are given the space to voice their discontent.
“I have asked Deputy Chief Minister (I) Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnor and Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim to discuss with State PAS commissioner Datuk Mohd Salleh Man in order to iron things out.
“Mohd Salleh has agreed to speak with them. They have already met and they have agreed to resolve this matter internally. Both parties will not to make further media statements,” he said.
The anticipated press conference by Lim was over within ten minutes with no question and answer session, along with Lim’s comment that PR leaders were not allowed to make media statements.
He said despite giving political parties within the government room to voice their discontent, `certain media’ manipulated the statements.
Lim was speaking in relation to an English daily that carried a report alleging DAP’s inteference in religious matters following PAS’ statement.
Therefore, he added it was better that the matter was resolved internally and behind closed doors.
“The important part is we are united in PR and we are still strong in our common goals. We want to tell our supporters not to be worried. Some of the media reports were manipulated,” he said.
Mohd Salleh, who was with Lim, dismissed the allegations in the English daily that implied DAP’s `interference’ in Islamic affairs in Penang.
“State PAS deputy commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff’s statement yesterday did not mention any parties’ involvement.
“Therefore, the paper’s article is actually a manipulation to break up our relationship with our partners in PR,” he said, adding that legal action by PAS will be taken if the daily refused to apologise.
Yesterday, Muhammad Fauzi issued a startling statement with four demands to PRC to give them more opportunities to speak, decide and select political appointees, and engage in policy making.
He said failure by PRC and the state government to do so would result in PAS reviewing its position within the council, and withdraw and resign from the positions and portfolios it held in the state and the council.
Permatang Pasir assemblyman Mohd Salleh, who is the sole PAS representative in the government, was also Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAIPP) president, a position that is appointed by the King.
PAS asked PPRC and the state government to give Mohd Salleh `absolute control’ over the selection of the MAIPP chairman and its councillors, and MAIPP subsidiaries’ board of directors.
PAS claimed that there have been `unreasonable interference’ by the state executive council on the appointment of MAIPP councillors, the chairman, and the board of directors of MAIPP’s subsidiaries.
PAS also stressed that the number of PAS local government councillors should be increased from two to four in both local councils, and be given `absolute power’ to select village development and security committee (JKKK) members within the six state and two parliamentary seats it contested.
The issue of overlapping opinions between PKR and PAS in relation to Islamic matters and the appointment of MAIPP office bearers has existed from the PR government’s first term.
While Abdul Malik, who is State PKR vice chairman, was the state exco member for religious affairs, Mohd Salleh was MAIPP president, a post that was given to PAS by way of consensus among PR leaders in Penang.
However, over the years, alleged conflict between the parties on religious affairs occurred occasionally.
PAS’ national leaders said the threat by Penang PAS to leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if their demands were not met by the coalition partners will be brought up in a meeting with the PAS Central Committee after its Muktamar this weekend.
