Umno, PAS unity government a threat to federation, says DAP

The formation of a unity government between Umno and PAS to implement hudud law will likely destroy both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, says an opposition lawmaker today. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 11, 2015.

The formation of a unity government (UG) between Umno and PAS to implement hudud law will not only cause great damage to Pakatan Rakyat, but will also undermine and threaten Barisan Nasional and the Malaysian federation, DAP said today.

The party’s parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang took Datuk Seri Najib Razak to task over this, saying the prime minister has not realised that the "hudud" weapon of the unity government plotters in Umno was, in fact, a "double-edged sword".

"It can not only damage the unity and solidarity of PR with its success to entice PAS support with purported Umno endorsement for the Kelantan government’s hudud implementation, it also threatens the unity and even survival of BN and the Malaysian federation as well," he said in a statement today.

"In fact, the hudud plot of the Umno UG conspirators has the potential not only to destroy both coalitions, but also the nation or bring about a realignment of political forces in the country."

Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, said Najib should not allow these conspirators to continue to "play with fire", referring to the conspiracy to entice PAS support to break up PR.

He said this conspiracy began a year ago on March 27, 2014  with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, surprising even PAS leaders with his overture in Parliament that the Barisan Nasional federal government was ready to work with Kelantan to implement the hudud law in the state.

"The Umno UG conspirators were so successful that they have caused not only enormous damage to the unity and solidarity of PR, they have also gained the collateral benefit of drowning out all the issues currently haunting Umno and the prime minister.”

These include questions and criticism over the controversial 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), introduction and amendment of repressive laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act  and Sedition Act, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's incarceration, the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, and his extravagant spending.

"The majority of Islamic countries in the world have not implemented hudud. Surely no one is seriously suggesting that these Islamic countries are anti-Islam?"

Lim said the UG plot, using hudud as a bait to disrupt PAS and damage PR, has come full cycle after PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's private member's bill appeared in the order paper at the recent sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.

"But Hadi’s private member’s bill motion did not come up for debate in Parliament in the April meeting, and it will suffer the same fate in the May meeting of Parliament, unless Najib wants to see not only the disintegration of Barisan Nasional but of the Malaysian Federation as well.”

Hadi's motion would allow him to table the bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, or what is known as Act 355, paving the way for certain categories under the hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.

On March 19, the Kelantan legislative assembly unanimously passed the Shariah Criminal Code II Enactment 1993 (Amendment 2015).

PAS's allies in the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat – DAP and PKR – have said they would not support the bill in Parliament.

The Islamist party's renewed push for hudud also caused DAP to terminate its ties with Hadi, although it decided to remain in the opposition coalition. 

Sarawak had also announced its departure from the state PR last month, following this.

The Dewan Rakyat ended its sitting on Thursday and Hadi's bill was deferred to the next sitting.

- TMI