Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 30^th July 2012: 

DAP co-operates with PAS on common principles that benefits Malaysians 

MCA and Gerakan continues their irresponsible, dishonest and untruthful attacks on DAP's support for PAS hudud laws and establishing an Islamic state as well as launch personal attacks that shows their desperation to revive lost popular support. Both MCA and Gerakan is like a "culprit hurling the accusation first" by trying to hide their failure to demand action against UMNO leaders' support for hudud to be imposed even on non-Muslims.

Let me reiterate that DAP does not support the implementation of an Islamic state in Malaysia and imposition of hudud law by PAS.

This consistent position of DAP has never changed. Despite these differences, both DAP and PAS have a common stand in fighting corruption and abuse of power as well as establishing integrity in leadership focusing on competency, accountability and transparency. We agree on a welfare state to protect the poor, destitute, sick and those who neeed help.

DAP and PAS can and should co-operate for the future of Malaysians on common principles that unites us as compared to continue to benefit BN by allowing these differences to divide us. For this reason both DAP and PAS have signed a 'common policy' that sets out the framework of what unites us and the nation-building policy of a future PR federal government. Clearly the 'common policy' makes no mention of implementing an Islamic state or hudud laws in any future PR federal government.

This is unlike UMNO Penang which is willing to go one step further by calling for the implementation of hudud in Penang and throughout the country. Even Johor Umno's Kemelah state assemblyman Ayub Rahmat called for Johor to become the first state to implement "true hudud law", which would differ from PAS's version because UMNO's "true hudud law" would be non-discriminatory as it would be imposed on non-Muslims. Not only did Penang State Opposition Leader Dato Azhar Ibrahim but the Kepala Batas Wanita UMNO Division also passed a resolution supporting hudud for all.

In other words, UMNO in wanting to implement hudud on non-Muslims too is more extreme than PAS who wants to see hudud implemented only on Muslims. I do not see top Gerakan leaders attacking UMNO leaders nor MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek using the same remarks of "political eunuchs" on UMNO. Why has MCA nor Gerakan not left BN because of UMNO leaders open support for hudud for all? DAP will not stoop so low to dirty tactics or smear campaigns employed by MCA and Gerakan against DAP leaders.

DAP has never misused parliamentary immunity to highlight Chua Soi Lek's famous sex tapes. Nor have we attacked Chua as an immoral person leading an immoral party. Neither have we conducted a smear campaign like Gerakan against my family and me. Unfortunately such courage is never displayed by Gerakan leaders against UMNO whom Gerakan fully supports even though UMNO has shown utter contempt for Gerakan by tearing up Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's picture.

Lest we forget, it is UMNO that bans the use of the word "Allah" on Malay language Christian bibles, widely used in Sabah and Sarawak. In contrast, PAS takes the moderate approach allowing Christians to use the word "Allah" as being practiced these hundred years in the Middle-East and Indonesia.

Clearly there is a difference between DAP co-operating with PAS and either MCA or Gerakan co-operating with UMNO, when both PAS and UMNO supports the hudud and the Islamic state. PAS is open about their support but not wanting to impose on non-Muslims whilst UMNO only expresses their support for hudud or all in Malay but not Chinese/ English papers. DAP co-operates with PAS on common principles of justice, freedom and democracy with our eyes open unlike MCA, MIC and Gerakan whom submits to UMNO with both eyes closed.

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan