Sabah PKR, DAP cannot fly Pakatan flag without us, PAS says

(Malay Mail Online) – Taken aback by the twin decisions of DAP and PKR’s Sabah chapters to kick them out of the opposition coalition, Sabah PAS is now claiming the move automatically disbands the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition in the east Malaysian state.

In a statement, Sabah PAS deputy commissioner III Hamid Ismail pointed out that PR is recognised as a three-party pact.

“The use of the Pakatan Rakyat word and the logo by either one of the parties or both is now inappropriate and might confuse the people,” he said.

Yesterday, Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Lajim Ukin (pic) and Sabah DAP chairman Jimmy Wong jointly issued a press statement to axe their ties with the Islamic party in Sabah over the implementation of the controversial hudud law in Kelantan.

They said it was a unanimous decision based on majority thought and the Islamic party’s insistence on going through with the law despite not heading the former’s stand on the matter.

“We respect their decision to sever political ties with us. We accept it with a heavy heart because we feel out alliance has the potential to take down the BN (Barisan Nasional) government in Sabah.

“This is evident from PKR and DAP’s win in the last elections as well as increase in votes for all three parties. The people are accepting Pakatan Rakyat’s ‘agree to disagree’ policy,” said Hamid in the statement.

He however reiterated that PAS remains committed to PR and does not want to pull out of the coalition.

“During the meeting yesterday (between the three parties), there was no decision to push PAS out of the alliance,” he said.

Hamid said PAS in Sabah will continue with its political agenda despite the latest unfolding.

PAS in Sabah has yet to gain much influence in Sabah’s political landscape having lost the few seats it contested in the last elections.

On the national front, DAP recently announced its decision to sever ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang over the hudud controversy but said it will stay put in PR.

Hadi has been accused of making unilateral decisions to enforce hudud, a controversial Islamic penal code that both PAS allies DAP and PKR have objected to, in Kelantan, a state his party leads.