Sarawak DAP clashes with PKR over splinter group

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen says there is no point in the state PKR telling GHB to drop the hudud agenda on the one hand and yet maintain its ties with PAS which has hudud as its primary objective. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, July 19, 2015.

The bad blood between two former opposition allies in Sarawak continued with DAP sniping at PKR over their stand on the Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB), or New Hope Movement launched by progressive PAS leaders who are mulling forming a new party.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said there was no point in the state PKR telling GHB to drop the hudud agenda on the one hand and yet maintain its ties with PAS which has hudud as its primary objective.

State PKR chairman Baru Bian yesterday voiced guarded optimism on the movement, saying GHB must not only abandon the PAS agenda of hudud if they are to appeal to the masses, but must also state categorically that they accept the supremacy of the Federal Constitution.

“It is long overdue for Sarawak PKR to make a decision whether to sever its ties with Sarawak PAS because of its hudud agenda and the leadership of (PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul) Hadi (Awang)," Chong said in a statement today.

He said Hadi has made it clear that hudud is the main agenda of PAS under his leadership, adding that the Sarawak PAS leadership was aligned to Hadi and thus his hudud agenda.

“When even many of the progressive PAS members and leaders are now losing hope in Hadi’s leadership and trying to form a new party, it is incomprehensible that Sarawak PKR is still clinging on to Sarawak PAS,” Chong said.

The Bandar Kuching MP asked if it was indecisiveness or the lack of power on the part of Sarawak PKR to make a decision on their political stand.

“The fundamental and permanent principle in this matter is that Malaysia is a secular state and that hudud law shall not be implemented in Malaysia.

“If one were to truly believe in secularism in Malaysia, then given the current position of PAS under Hadi, it is impossible to work together with PAS.

“Baru Bian may have spoken against hudud; however, PKR’s continued association with PAS speaks otherwise.”

Chong also asked Baru if PKR would help PAS campaign in the upcoming state election.

“If the answer is 'yes', then PKR will be compromising our secularism. If the answer is 'No', then why the continued association?”

“You can’t have your cake and eat it,” said Chong.

- TMI