PKR raises election front as reason to keep PAS

While DAP talks up hudud, PKR man says need to keep up opposition cooperation to face Barisan

PETALING JAYA: The need for national opposition cooperation at the next general election was touted by PKR today as a reason for keeping the Selangor coalition government together, while the DAP resorted to the hudud issue as its reason for staying in.

The presence of PAS members in the Selangor government, has caused friction and discontent within the DAP, whose leaders have fallen out with the Islamist party, with whom PKR and DAP had been allies in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that won power in the state.

With the DAP and PAS having fallen out, Shuhaimi Shafiei of Selangor PKR defended the presence of PAS representatives in the PKR-led state government.

He said today they were needed in order to maintain opposition to the Barisan Nasional at the next general election.

“The Selangor government must maintain its stance of holistic political cooperation with any party who wishes to see a strong and stable political party in order to face Umno and Barisan National in GE14,” said Shuhaimi, the Selangor PKR information chief, in a statement today.

He denied accusations that menteri besar Azmin Ali was keeping PAS assemblymen in his executive council for personal reasons. Azmin has stated that PAS were continuing to be coalition partners in Selangor.

Shuhaimi, who is Sri Muda assemblyman, said Azmin’s stand was based on a previous resolution by PKR’s central leadership in October to maintain ties with all political parties.

At the Selangor DAP convention today, executive councillor Teng Chang Khim raised the issue of hudud to defend the presence of himself and Ean Yong Hian Wah in the executive council. He said their presence, and with Hannah Yeoh as state assembly speaker, would forestall any moves by PAS towards enforcing hudud criminal penalties.

Teng also questioned if PAS would leave the Selangor government if the DAP did so.

Shuhaimi also dealt with discontent about PAS by saying: “Certain statements which were made, as if to urge the menteri besar to remove PAS exco members, are contrary to the central leadership committee’s resolution.”

He urged disciplinary action against any PKR leader who defied the resolution.