Kit Siang backs Anwar’s offer for PAS to join federal govt, with certain conditions

(MMO) – Former federal lawmaker Lim Kit Siang today expressed his support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s olive branch to political adversary PAS to boost Malaysia’s political stability and post-pandemic economic recovery.

The DAP veteran appeared to view Anwar’s offer to the Islamist party to join his federal administration positively.

“I personally welcome Anwar’s preparedness to accept PAS as part of unity government subject to policy conditions,” Lim said in a statement.

He listed three conditions.

The first is for PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to retract and apologise for his “wild and preposterous allegations” against the DAP politician.

The second condition is for PAS MPs to stop playing up racial and religious issues that pit Malaysians of diverse cultures against each other and to become role model lawmakers for political stability and unity.

Lim’s last condition was a challenge for PAS to “make Malaysia the role model for the world for inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance, and harmony”.

He said the results of the six state general elections in August, the twin Johor by-elections for the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram seat in September, and the Pelangai by-election in Pahang earlier this month, has stabilised Malaysia after much political turbulence during the past three years since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lim added that this return to stability has “given hope that Malaysia can rise up again to be a great world-class nation”.

He was responding to Anwar’s published interview with Time magazine last in which the prime minister said that his administration is still willing to conduct talks with PAS, but must draw a line when it comes to religious zealotry.

Anwar spoke of the rise of conservative rhetoric among Malaysians that stemmed from the current political environment and PAS’ increasingly hardline stance.

However, Anwar told Time he has yet to receive a clear rejection or positive response from PAS so far.