Order Penang reps to quit government, state tells ‘illogical’ PAS

(Malay Mail Online) – DAP-led Penang demanded today the new PAS central leadership direct its state representatives to resign their government positions.

The state executive council helmed by Lim Guan Eng insisted that the Islamist party’s undebated motion at its recent congress to cut ties with its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) friend meant that PAS was unequivocally ceasing its partnership with DAP and could not prevaricate and argue that the decision was not yet final.

“As such, the new PAS leadership must follow up on their motion that was accepted without debate, by ordering the PAS state government representatives to step down.

“It is illogical for the new PAS leadership to try and twist that they are still discussing the motion to cut ties with DAP, when the motion was ‘received’ without debate and not ‘referred’ by the PAS congress,” Lim who is also DAP secretary-general said in a statement.

He added that the Penang executive council was unanimous on this decision, after their meeting yesterday.

The second-term chief minister said past relations between the DAP-led state and the regular Penang PAS members had been cordial, but claimed the Islamist party’s new leaders and their supporters to be hostile.

Lim said the appointment of PAS representatives into the state government was based on their willingness to cooperate with the DAP state government and their oath of loyalty to accept orders and carry out state policies.

Lim said their resignation was imperative because the four PAS representatives have to be “directly or directly or indirectly involved” with the chief minister and local government executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow though the four only held city councillor positions in Penang and Seberang Perai.

“Only state government leaders who do not understand this principle will cause the states they govern to be backwards,” he added, taking a swipe at the PAS leadership headed by Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Last week, the Islamist party confirmed its decision to sever ties with DAP while still remaining in PR with PKR, after approving a motion without debate in their muktamar or annual congress.

Since then, Lim has pushed for the resignation of Penang PAS leaders, accusing them of undermining the DAP administration by holding onto their positions.

The DAP had cut ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang last March, but not the Islamist opposition party itself, after Hadi tabled a private member’s Bill in Parliament to remove legal obstacles that prevent the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

The secular party, however, has yet to decide if it will end its relationship with PAS after the controversial motion at the muktamar, with DAP national Liew Chin Tong saying Wednesday that it is up to the central executive committee to decide on his party’s ties with PAS.