You’re either with us or against us, Guan Eng tells ‘anti-Pakatan’ PAS members

By admin-s Last updated Oct 8, 2014

There must be clarity about the stance of PAS members, who were against cooperation with PR, so that the rest of the PR coalition knew who to work with in its fight against Barisan Nasional (BN).

Himanshu Bhatt, The Malaysian Insider

As Pakatan Rakyat (PR) licks its wounds from discord over the Selangor menteri besar saga, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has bluntly told PAS members who are against the pact – show yourselves, and do not play a “double game”.

Lim, who is Penang chief minister, is also being tested in his state government as Penang PAS tries to mend ties with his administration over criticism by one of its vocal councillors.

He said there must be clarity about the stance of PAS members, who were against cooperation with PR, so that the rest of the PR coalition knew who to work with in its fight against Barisan Nasional (BN).

“There are those in PAS who want to unite together with PR. There are those who don’t,” Lim told The Malaysian Insider.

“We can only work with those who want to unite with PR,” he said in an interview at his office in George Town.

“I think we have to have this clarity. They’ve got to be very clear where they stand.”

Lim said that there were PAS leaders who supported working with PR to win federal power.

But recent events like the Selangor menteri besar impasse and the PAS muktamar last month also revealed a segment of PAS leaders and members who questioned if political cooperation, or “tahaluf siyasi”, was worth the compromise of its Islamic ideals.

Lim called for clarity in allegiance to PR when asked if the opposition could move forward following the discord between the PAS leadership and DAP and PKR over the choice of Selangor menteri besar.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had broken ranks with DAP and PKR, rejecting PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the menteri besar post.

And at the recent PAS general assembly in Johor, certain leaders and delegates also expressed dissatisfaction with PKR and DAP, with some voicing the possibility of reviewing ties in the coalition.

Other leaders, who spoke in support of cooperation with PR, were booed and
jeered.

PAS itself has also long wrestled with the idea of siding with Umno, the lead party in the BN federal government. “Unity talks” between PAS and Umno have cropped up now and then in the Islamist party.

Lim said those who wanted to work with “other outside forces” had the right to do so.

“But don’t play a double game,” he added.

You want to work with Umno, you go and work with Umno. You want to work with PR, you come out and show your sincerity you are working with PR.”