Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 10^th June 2009:

The time has come for PAS to reassess its position in the Pakatan Rakyat

PAS’ embarking upon unity talks with UMNO is a serious disservice to the sincerity expected of PAS as a component of the Pakatan Rakyat.

PAS should realise it is not the dominant party in the Pakatan Rakyat. It has only 24 seats in Parliament compared to the 28 held by the DAP and 31 by PKR.

PAS’ victories in the by-elections in Kuala Trengganu and Bukit Gantang should not be the monopoly of PAS alone. PAS must remember it is the Pakatan Rakyat which was responsible for these victories and not PAS alone.

PAS should not overreach itself by making statements, particularly, through its president, Data’ Seri Hadi Awang to initiate unity talks with UMNO. Hadi should not forget that in 1971 PAS joined the Barisan Nasional only to leave it shortly thereafter. It appears PAS has not learnt a lesson. For Hadi to publicly state that the DAP had agreed to unity talks with UMNO is a long way from the truth. Hadi has chosen to mislead not only PAS members and leaders, but also the rakyat. Publicly committing deception on the people does not gain Hadi any brownie points.

The open attack by PAS on Sisters-in-Islam does not endear it to those who supported it in the March 8 elections last year. Neither does PAS’ insistence at its 55th Muktamar recently that female journalists covering the event were required to be ‘properly’ dressed. Then again, the insistence by PAS leaders that Malaysia will be turned into an Islamic state if it comes to power, is a flagrant and outrageous affront to the Federal Constitution which specifically proclaims Malaysia to be a secular state, with Islam as the official religion. PAS need not be reminded that in 1988, a strong five-man bench of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, ruled that Malaysia was a secular state. PAS should not also forget that the 5-man bench was headed by the then Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas, who is a member of PAS and a former state executive councillor in Trengganu when PAS seized power in that state in 1999.

PAS should, and must, realise that the DAP has limits to its patience. It should not push its agenda which adversely affects the Pakatan Rakyat too far.

The time has come for PAS to reassess its position in the Pakatan Rakyat. PAS should realise it cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. The hounds in UMNO will teach it a biller lesson if it insists on moves to form a unity government with UMNO. PAS should carefully consider the direction of its destiny.PAS’ embarking upon unity talks with UMNO is a serious disservice to the sincerity expected of PAS as a component of the Pakatan Rakyat.

PAS should realise it is not the dominant party in the Pakatan Rakyat. It has only 24 seats in Parliament compared to the 28 held by the DAP and 31 by PKR.

PAS’ victories in the by-elections in Kuala Trengganu and Bukit Gantang should not be the monopoly of PAS alone. PAS must remember it is the Pakatan Rakyat which was responsible for these victories and not PAS alone.

PAS should not overreach itself by making statements, particularly, through its president, Data’ Seri Hadi Awang to initiate unity talks with UMNO. Hadi should not forget that in 1971 PAS joined the Barisan Nasional only to leave it shortly thereafter. It appears PAS has not learnt a lesson. For Hadi to publicly state that the DAP had agreed to unity talks with UMNO is a long way from the truth. Hadi has chosen to mislead not only PAS members and leaders, but also the rakyat. Publicly committing deception on the people does not gain Hadi any brownie points.

The open attack by PAS on Sisters-in-Islam does not endear it to those who supported it in the March 8 elections last year. Neither does PAS’ insistence at its 55th Muktamar recently that female journalists covering the event were required to be ‘properly’ dressed. Then again, the insistence by PAS leaders that Malaysia will be turned into an Islamic state if it comes to power, is a flagrant and outrageous affront to the Federal Constitution which specifically proclaims Malaysia to be a secular state, with Islam as the official religion. PAS need not be reminded that in 1988, a strong five-man bench of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, ruled that Malaysia was a secular state. PAS should not also forget that the 5-man bench was headed by the then Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas, who is a member of PAS and a former state executive councillor in Trengganu when PAS seized power in that state in 1999.

PAS should, and must, realise that the DAP has limits to its patience. It should not push its agenda which adversely affects the Pakatan Rakyat too far.

The time has come for PAS to reassess its position in the Pakatan Rakyat. PAS should realise it cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds. The hounds in UMNO will teach it a biller lesson if it insists on moves to form a unity government with UMNO. PAS should carefully consider the direction of its destiny.

It is my firm belief that PAS should stay clear of any unity talks with UMNO and together with the PKR and the DAP work towards ensuring the downfall of the BN in the next general elections bearing in mind that he supporters of the Pakatan Raykat which gave it the mandate to rule 5 states with 81 seats in Parliament did not envisage PAS having unity talks with UMNO now.

It is my firm belief that PAS should stay clear of any unity talks with UMNO and together with the PKR and the DAP work towards ensuring the downfall of the BN in the next general elections bearing in mind that he supporters of the Pakatan Raykat which gave it the mandate to rule 5 states with 81 seats in Parliament did not envisage PAS having unity talks with UMNO now.

* Karpal Singh, DAP National National Chairman & MP for Bukit Gelugor