Sever ties with PAS for Kelantan hudud plan, DAP MP tells Penang

(Malay Mail Online) – Penang must sever all ties with PAS as the party has betrayed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) by going ahead with its hudud plans in Kelantan, a DAP lawmaker said today.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi stressed that PAS’ tabling of the amendments to Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code II Enactment 1993 yesterday showed that the Islamist party could no longer be trusted.

He said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government must immediately stop all forms of cooperation with PAS ― including the local government, village security and development committees (JKKK) and field officers.

“What PAS did was a betrayal to the spirit of PR and they can no longer be trusted so PR must take firm actions to demonstrate to the Islamist party that its act of betrayal is unholy and unacceptable,” Ooi said in a press conference at his service centre in Jelutong here.

He called on all PAS members holding positions in the local government as councillors, field officers and JKKK members to be immediately suspended.

He also suggested that the sole PAS state assemblyman, Mohd Salleh Man, be removed from his post as the president of Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP).

Ooi accused PAS of collaborating with Umno in Kelantan with the aim of destabilizing PR and ultimately to wrest control of the Selangor state government.

He believed that if PAS forms a PAS-Umno unity government in Kelantan, it would mean PAS would aim to do the same with Umno in Selangor.

PAS has 15 seats out of 43 in Selangor while Umno has 12 seats along with one independent so if it were to form a PAS-Umno unity government, it would effectively have 28 out of 43 seats.

Ooi also warned that with the tabling of the bill in Kelantan, it will be extended to Parliament by way of a Private Member’s Bill.

He also told DAP leadership that as a matter of principle, they should not be seen as meddling in PAS’ party elections in June by delaying censure of the PAS leadership for betraying PR or by taking sides to lend moral support to the so-called liberal faction within the Islamist party.

“PAS must put their house in order, tend to their own political direction and decide if they are with us, PR, or against us,” he said.