Sarawak Pakatan Harapan closes its doors to DAP

Who should initiate “peace” talks between Sarawak DAP and Sarawak PKR?

Do they need a mediator?

It looks like they need one as the two parties seem to be waiting for each other to make the first move.

They have until January 2016 to make peace as otherwise it will be too late.

The state election can be called as early as next year or the latest by mid-June.

Sarawakians want to see the two parties work together as a united front to fight their common enemy – the state BN, but the leaders of the two parties are not on talking terms.

Issues of overlapping claims to seats, their common stand as well as strategies need to be urgently discussed.

Sarawak DAP left Pakatan Rakyat due to the state PKR’s reluctance to disassociate itself with PAS which wishes to implement hudud law.

To DAP, Pakatan Rakyat is already dead. But the national PKR still insists that PAS join the new grouping, Pakatan Harapan, formed by DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).

Although the state PKR is against the implementation of hudud, its position is to toe the national PKR’s policy which still wants PAS to be in Pakatan Harapan.

Unlike Sarawak DAP, the state PKR is not free to make its own decision on whether to abandon PAS.

What worries many Sarawakians is that Sarawak DAP and Sarawak PKR may fight each other in several constituencies forgetting that the real enemy is the state BN.

Meanwhile, state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen (pic) sent a very clear message to Sarawak PKR that Sarawak DAP and Sarawak Amanah do not want PAS to join the newly formed Sarawak Pakatan Harapan.

“PAS is past, and there is no way our two parties (Sarawak DAP and Sarawak Parti Amanah Negara) can work with PAS in its present state,” he said at a news conference.

Also present was Sarawak Amanah chairman Mohamad Fidzuan Zaidi.

“We note that at this moment, PAS is not a party to the new coalition. However, there are those who believe that we should leave the door open to PAS. This is our concern. As such, it is best that we state our stand clear right from the outset,” Chong said.

He said that their participation in the formation of Sarawak Pakatan Harapan was on the condition that there should not be any form of cooperation with or participation of any party which was not committed to the principles of “governance by consensus” and the stated ideals of the coalition.

“To us, what PAS did in the past is completely unacceptable,” said Chong, who is the Kota Sentosa assemblyman.

No doubt that it is an ideal position to have all the opposition parties under one umbrella. But the issue here is whether such as ideal is attainable?

“It is important to produce a workable Pakatan which speaks with one voice in matters involving the common framework.

“PAS has proven itself to be a party without credibility and had betrayed the former Pakatan Rakyat coalition by its unilateral pursuit of the implementation of hudud law in the country by working in cohorts with Umno.

“By so doing it had proven itself unable to be team player,” Chong added.

As the “perfect storm” of multiple national, economic and ethnic crises hit the nation, DAP and Amanah are keenly aware that the real issues of economy, education, healthcare, security, judiciary, democracy and justice shall be the main and priority issues for the new coalition Pakatan Harapan.

Not only must Malaysians break free from the current issues, Sarawak’s Pakatan Harapan must lead the way to campaign for the federal government to devolve powers to the state in line with the spirit of democracy, especially for state autonomy in police matters, education, and healthcare.

“Sarawak Pakatan must give hope to Sarawakians that we present a new future. A coalition based on the principles of good and clean governance.

“To us, the real issues of economy, education, healthcare, security, judiciary, democracy and justice shall be the main and priority issues.

“To PAS, it seems that the implementation of hudud is the only issue of concern while all other issues are seen as insignificant.

“Therefore we would like to reiterate that there is no way for our two parties to work with PAS in its present state.

“We hope that everyone will be clear on this and not harbour any hope of us compromising our stand so as to work with PAS,” he said.