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Seat negotiation suspension: Parti Keadilan Nasional must address DAPs’ concerns

 
Press Statement
by Kerk Kim Hock

(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): On 5.8.2003, I have announced the DAP's decision to suspend the seat negotiation between DAP and Parti Kedilan Nasional (PKN) due to our concerns about the unhealthy and unprofessional practices by PKN leaders in conducting the talks, namely: 

  1. persistent leak out of discussion details and negative public comments by PKN leaders
  2. unjustified and unwarranted criticism against and attacks on the DAP arising from disagreement in the negotiation.

Various responses, some irrelevant and some untrue assertions have been made by Kedilan leaders. However, what is most disappointing are the public comments made by Datin Seri Wan Azizah, President of Parti Kedilan Nasional.

 

Yesterday’s Malaysiakini reported what she said a follows:

 

“ The negotiations was initiated by them (DAP) and they are also the one who wanted to suspend the talks, we are really shocked by the announcement. Both parties have made media statements”

 

The Malaysiakini also reported that “ Asked on the racial politics allegation, she said DAP did not explain or clarify the accusations in the letter but only expressed their unhappiness over the news reports quoting Keadilan leaders ”

 

Her comments seem to suggest that there is a lack of will on her part to really address the DAP’s concerns about the manner the PKN leaders choose to conduct the negotiation process.

 

What has saddened the DAP is in fact not only the above concerns, but in leaking out the discussion details, the PKN leaders have also chosen to reveal half of the picture which can undermine the DAP ‘s image. .

 

Such unprofessional act on the part of the PKN leaders leads us to believe that there seems to be a new attempt to repeat what they have done during the negotiations for the Teluk Kemang and Lunas by election seats – to try to influence the outcome of negotiation by orchestrating misleading public statements calculated to tarnish the DAP’s image and weaken our position. 

 

What Azizah should have done is to address our concerns and direct that her party leaders conduct the seat negotiations with sincerity and in the professional manner, instead of asking us to clarify an unfair and baseless allegation.

 

I fail to understand why in the seat negotiations with PAS, PKN has never leaked out any negotiation details. I also wonder why PKN has not attacked PAS as practicing racial politics when PAS ‘s interest is to concentrate on Malay majority seats.

 

Let me stress that DAP ‘s politics is multi racial and our image and credibility as a multi racial Party must not be distorted, tarnished or undermined by anyone.

 

I hope that PKN leaders will understand the following facts:

 

  1. DAP past general election candidates and our elected representatives have comprised the major races
  2. DAP elected representatives, whether inside and outside the Parliament and Sate Assemblies, have been championing the causes of all Malaysians, irrespective of their religion and race
  3. In the pre 1999 general election seat negotiation, DAP has disagreed with PKN and has insisted our right to contest in the non Chinese majority seats on the ground that we are a multi racial Party

No seat negotiation can proceed without the mutual commitment of both parties involved to conduct the negotiation with a sincere attitude and in a professional manner.

 

If the pre 1999 general election seat negotiation meetings between DAP, PAS, PKN and PRM could be conducted behind closed doors with no public disclosure and public attacks on the negotiation partners, there is no reason why PKN leaders cannot do the same now.

 

(13/8/2003)

*  Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General & MP for Kota Melaka