Pakatan builds on democracy even when locking horns, says Kit Siang
(The Malay Mail) – Despite differences in ideologies, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties are are able to work together due to their common belief in democracy, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said last night as he urged Malaysians to join the federal opposition bloc to vote out the Barisan Nasional (BN) government at the next general election.
While acknowledging that his secular party and Islamist partner have not seen eye-to-eye on many issues — particularly PAS’s insistence on carrying out hudud law — the DAP parliamentary leader said PR’s willingness to face these issues head on shows inclusion and mutual respect.
“These shared values have led to important democratic gains. There has been greater diversity in the representation of Malaysians. Pakatan has fielded a record number of women as candidates, including our PAS colleagues.
“Rather than largely fielding those who are interested in making money, the Pakatan slate has included trade unionists, religious leaders, community leaders, professionals and academics,” the Gelang Patah MP said in his speech at a fund raising dinner here.
DAP and PAS — who respectively subscribe to secular and Islamic policies — have long been at odds over the latter party’s insistence on implementing hudud law, with both sides taking divergent positions on whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic state.
This is the second time the two parties have formed an alliance, having embarked on an ultimately failed attempt to work together under the short-lived Barisan Alternatif that was formed with two other parties in the late 1990s.
Last night, Lim noted that there continues to be disagreements between PR’s member parties but stressed that they have reached an understanding that all “need to listen and include different points of view, different backgrounds of expertise and different contributions”.
He claimed that PR has achieved what many others around the world have been trying to do, in forging cooperation between Muslim and non-Muslim political parties towards a common cause.
“An overriding message of Pakatan has been that all citizens in Malaysians are to be valued and appreciated. We understand that one of Malaysia’s greatest strengths is its diversity and that this pluralism should be allowed to flourish.
“It is not easy. Sometimes the discussions break down. Other times there are open disagreements. These do not take away from the value that is placed in the process of listening and underlying mutual respect,” he said.
Despite the opposition’s gains over the two past general elections, Lim said Malaysians need to go that extra mile to push BN out of Putrajaya come the 14th general election — which must be
held in 2018 at the latest.
He claimed that BN lynchpin Umno and the rest of the ruling coalition have been drumming up fear and hate “through lies and falsehoods” on the “imaginary threats and enemies” of the Malays and Islam in the country, as they realise the possibility that they could lose in the next national polls.
Quoting Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Lim said it only takes a two per cent shift in voter sentiment to put PR in power.
“The majority of voters in Malaysia want Pakatan Rakyat to succeed to promote democratic reforms, to promote a more democratic society based on prioritising people, valuing the rule of law, justice, fairness and inclusion.
“These ideals are what will make Malaysia stronger and offer the most promise for a shared democratic dream,” he said.
