The rift in Pakatan Rakyat appears to be worsening with DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang suggesting that he may boycott the coalition's presidential meetings over PAS’ hudud agenda.

"If the Kelantan state assembly special meeting to push through the implementation of hudud, which even the PAS central committee is unaware of, is held, I see no purpose in attending future Pakatan presidential council meetings.

"And I leave it to the party to decide on its next course of action," he said in a statement.

Lim also said it is shocking there are PAS leaders who claim that there is nothing wrong in misleading Malaysian voters in the 13th general election.

He was referring to PAS "reneging on the undertaking that it would comply with the Pakatan common policy framework and would not unilaterally push for the implementation of hudud".

The current imbroglio is reminiscent of how the opposition pact Barisan Alternatif dissolved in 2001 after DAP pulled out due to PAS' Islamic state agenda.

Lim, who is also Gelang Patah MP, said he fully supported Selangor Menteri Besar and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s statement that hudud is not a common policy of Pakatan and hence PAS should bring the issue to the Pakatan presidential council for discussion.

On Sept 28, 2011, at the meeting of Pakatan’s presidential council attended by over 30 leaders from DAP, PKR and PAS, the consensus was that hudud was not part of Pakatan’s joint common policy framework until all parties agreed to it.

“However, PAS never brought this matter to Pakatan’s presidential council meeting,” he said, adding that if the Sept 28, 2011 common Pakatan policy was not approved, three scenarios may happen namely:

  • PAS would have continued to push for the implementation of hudud regardless of  the views of DAP and PKR;
  • Pakatan would have disintegrated and
  • Umno/BN would not have become a minority government with only 47 percent of the popular vote - in fact it would have regained  the two-thirds parliamentary majority it lost in the 2008 general election.
Outcome in 14th GE

The DAP parliamentary leader warned that what could happen if PAS reneges on its undertaking to Pakatan and Malaysian voters would be a possible loss of Putrajaya and the Kelantan state government.

“But we have to await the 14th general election to see the full impact of the consequences,” he said.

“DAP leaders have agreed to disagree with PAS leaders on the issue of hudud because we believe we are on the same page to want to promote justice, freedom, democracy, good governance, incorruptibility and moderation in Malaysia.

“We believe that we are honest politicians who will not use devious and dishonest means to mislead and cheat voters to vote for Pakatan candidates under false pretences,” he said.

He warned that if the hudud agenda goes ahead, with PAS and Umno backing it, it may spell a doomsday not only for Pakatan but also BN.  

Kelantan will have the special legislative assembly seating on Dec 29 to discuss the hudud issue and it is reported in several media reports that its MB Ahmad Yaakob had said the sitting will go on despite the worsening flood conditions in the east coast state.

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