PAS to BN: Stop the threats!

Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad also dismisses Dr Chua Soi Lek’s claim that a PAS-led opposition government will lead to a market collapse as nonsensical.

PETALING JAYA: Fed up by Barisan Nasional’s persistent talk that a regime change would bring chaos to country, PAS’ Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad urged his political foes to stop threatening the rakyat and holding democracy to ransom.

“If this time people decide you have go, you go lah! Don’t involve Bursa [Malaysia] and all such nonsense. Stop the rumour-mongering and politics of fear. People will judge us based on our performance,” he told FMT today.

Dzulkefly was responding to MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s statement last week that a PAS-dominated opposition government in Putrajaya would cause the Bursa Malaysia indicator – KL Composite Index (KLCI) – to plunge 500 points within a week.

Chua said this was because there would be perceived political instability after a regime change, coupled with the fact that PAS has vowed to shut down Bursa Malaysia and the casinos in Genting, Pahang.

Labelling it as another desperate attempt from BN to cling to power, Dzulkefly expressed disbelief that a regime change would cost the market such a free-fall.

“A few weeks ago when [Prime Minister] Najib [Tun Razak] hinted that the next general election is around the corner, the market dropped 40 points in a day and lost RM35 billion in market capitalisation.

“Chua’s claim that a 500 point drop is equal to [a loss of] RM350 billion market capitalisation is insane,” he said.

Contests an essence of democracy

Dzulkefly said the market would instead usher in a fresh system with better financial policies and greater transparency put up by the new government.

Citing the examples of Japan, Australia and United Kingdom, the PAS central committee member said change of government was only a routine of democracy.

“The very essence of democracy is contests. In any contest, you would have winner and loser. If you equal change to destruction, then you might as well don’t have contests.

“The fact you voice those thing means you don’t understand democracy; it shows you’re an autocratic, despotic government, because you can’t accept a regime change,” he said.

He questioned why BN did not apply the same theory when inciting the Kelantan people to vote against the PAS-led state government in the coming general election.

Dzulkefly also clarified that PAS had never wanted to shut down the bourse because trading was the core element of economics.