Puchong MP Gobind Singh has blamed the controversy around the implementation of hudud by PAS as a significant contributing factor for DAP’s defeat in Teluk Intan.

Gobind ( right ) said PAS stood firm that they would eventually push ahead with hudud even during the 12-day campaign which ended last Sunday, polling day.

He was nevertheless thankful for PAS’ working tirelessly to support the DAP in the gruelling campaign, which eventually saw DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud defeated by Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong by a very slim majority of 238 votes.

“There was even a statement that the hudud bill would be tabled in Parliament in September, notwithstanding the DAP’s clear objection to it and the fact that it stood against the Pakatan Rakyat common agenda inked in 2011,” Gobind said.

“To my mind, this struck deep in the minds of many voters as many do not support hudud and feel that Malaysia must remain a secular nation with full effect given to the federal constitution as it stands,” he added.

“This could have resulted in a silent protest vote against Pakatan Rakyat,” he stressed.

PAS had initially planned to move a Private Members Bill on hudud in Parliament next week but on the eve of the Bukit Gelugor nomination day on May 12, withdrew its plan, deciding to discuss the matter with the federal government in a special technical committee set up for the purpose.

Gobind said many had expressed concern over PAS’ wanting to push ahead with hudud, saying that they felt misled into supporting the Islamic party, thinking that they were no longer urging the setting up of an Islamic state in the last two elections.

He added that many had expressed reservations over support for Pakatan as that would also be support for PAS and its agenda to implement hudud.

He insisted that DAP made the right choice to field Dyana Sofya in Teluk Intan, and that the team worked tirelessly and did an excellent job throughout the campaign in Teluk Intan.

“(However) I feel the right political strategies in terms of candidate and future vision alone cannot in itself erase the need for clarity in terms of position on current issues of public concern such as hudud,” Gobind said.

“Ultimately, it boils down to our ability to move the people and to inspire and motivate them. The negative impact that issues like hudud will have, if not already felt, needs to be understood through this loss,” he added.

‘We must get back to basics’

“We must get back to basics. We must be brave and deal with these problems now. If we fail to do this, the consequences arising from our inability to do so can and most certainly will, to my mind, be somewhat disastrous,” he stressed.

In an immediate response, PAS research centre director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that Pakatan Rakyat should not be fingering each other after defeat in the by-election.

“To Pakatan Rakyat, it is not right to come out of this by-election with a blame-game syndrome.

“I ask that a post-mortem that is both extensive and intensive be conducted to determine the causes of the loss.

“Whatever the factors of our successes or failure, it can only be evaluated based on research and not analysis from the comfort of one’s chair,” he said.

On the other hand, Perak PAS Youth election director Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar conceded that Pakatan failed to garner the support of Changkat Jong voters, a Malay majority area, saying that many threw their support for BN in the by-election.

PAS contested the state seat in the May 5 general election last year and lost with a big majority.

“We will do a post-mortem to identify the effective strategy to ensure that we are more ready to face the coming elections,” Mohd Fakhfulrazi said.

Nevertheless, he remains positive despite DAP’s loss, saying the party will improve its machinery in time.

“The three percent increase in Malay votes is a motivation to us to continue garnering the support of the community in Changkat Jong as it is an important seat for PAS,” he said,

“To the entire machinery, you have done your best. Don’t be disappointed as there is no such thing as a loss in the dictionary of struggles,” he quipped.

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