‘I leave my fate to party delegates’

The DAP leader speaks about this weekend’s party polls and his bittersweet relationship with PAS.

INTERVIEW

PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman Karpal Singh has shrugged off a report about an attempt to unseat him at the party election this weekend, saying it was probably untrue.

“I don’t think there is an attempt to remove me,” he told FMT during a wide-ranging interview on current issues in Malaysian politics.

“In any event,” he added, “I leave it to the delegates to decide.”

DAP will have its national congress this weekend in Penang, where delegates will elect a new central executive committee.

News about an attempt to oust Karpal came yesterday from Tan Tuan Tat, a former Selangor DAP auditor. He did not identify the plotters, but said some people were unhappy about Karpal’s open criticism of the governance of states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat.

Today, another Selangor DAP grassroots leader made similar claims.

Karpal, 72, is known for his frankness in addressing political issues. Lately, he has been ruffling feathers in Pakatan Rakyat, with his reprimand of PAS for insisting on its Islamic state agenda and his call on the public to highlight the wrongdoings of Pakatan state governments.

But perhaps it is his advocacy of a one-man-one-seat policy that would be the reason for any attempt to oust him from the DAP chair. The inside talk is that it has discomfited several powerful leaders in the party.

Karpal defended his outspokenness, saying he had always been motivated by what he thought was best for his party and for Malaysians.

However, when asked to comment on DAP’s recent resolve not to pursue the one-man-one-seat matter, he declined, citing respect for the party’s decision.

Speaking about PAS, he said: “When I speak out on hudud as a DAP member, it’s all about protecting the constitutional rights of the non-Muslims.

“No doubt, we should not have unnecessary friction among Pakatan partners, but we cannot allow PAS to make a proposal that will impinge upon the rights of non-Muslims.”

Larger considerations

He expressed deep respect for the Islamic party’s political stand and admiration for its tenacity in struggling for the betterment of Malaysia.

“Of course, PAS has its own agenda and we understand that. But there are larger considerations to things. So when you come up with laws that infringe upon the rights of a large section of the population, we have to speak out.”

He added that Malaysia’s secular constitution did not provide an avenue for turning the country into a theocratic state.

“We have secular laws, which is a legacy of the British legal system. In a country that has secular laws, you cannot claim it as an Islamic state.”

He said Malaysia could not have both hudud and secular laws together, and cited an example to show how a dual legal system would cause complications.

“When a Muslim commits a crime against a non-Muslim, the Muslim will ask to be tried at the syariah court, but the victim can’t testify there. How do you go about it?”

Nevertheless, he added, PAS and DAP could work together despite their differences because they could agree on large issues.

“When it comes to good governance and economic progress, we can see eye to eye. And I believe our combination gives people hope that we can displace Barisan Nasional in the general election.”

Asked to name his favourite leaders in PAS and PKR, Karpal mentioned Mohamad Sabu and Anwar Ibrahim without hesitation.

“Mat Sabu is a good example of a leader,” he said. “He has a personality that draws people to him and is well liked by everyone.”

He said he became friends with Mat Sabu when they were both detained under the Internal Security Act following the infamous Operasi Lalang of 1987.

“We were held in the same barracks. I think the government made a mistake by putting us together. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.”