No help from DAP for PAS in elections over Syariah bill standoff
The rift between DAP and PAS has widened even more after the Islamic party boasted yesterday that the implementation of Terengganu's Syariah criminal enactment bill will help it win the next general election.
DAP officials said they were finding it more difficult to offer PAS any help in the coming Pendang and Anak Bukit by-elections.
"With PAS' open declaration yesterday, it has become impossible for DAP to associate itself with PAS in the coming by-elections and the general election," said its deputy chairman Karpal Singh.
He reiterated that DAP will continue to oppose any attempt to subvert the provision of the Federal Constitution that describes Malaysia as a secular state and that Islam is the official religion.
"PAS should get out of its self-induced stupor that the implementation of the PAS-led Terengganu government's Syariah Criminal Enactment (Hudud and Qisas) bill will win them more seats in the coming general election," he said.
He added that PAS must face the realities of the legal terrain whereby the Constitution has clearly reflected that state governments cannot pass any laws which are diametrically opposed to the fact that Malaysia is a secular state.
Karpal was referring to a news report that had quoted Terengganu state executive councillor Harun Taib as saying that the implementation of the Bill would help the party win more parliamentary seats "to the point where the next Parliament will be ours".
Dialogue on syariah
Harun was reported to have said this during a dialogue session "Terengganu Syariah Criminal Enactment Bill: Does it discriminate against women?"on Saturday. PAS' acting president Abdul Hadi Awang who is also the Terengganu Mentri Besar presided over the talk.
"There is no doubt that the bill apart from being clearly discriminatory against women, lacks competency of passage in the Terengganu state assembly as it violates fundamental provisions of the Constitution," said Karpal.
He said he was also surprised by the absence of former Lord President Salleh Abas who is also the state's executive councillor, at the dialogue.
"Tun Salleh's experience as a former Lord President of the Federal Court and Solicitor-General certainly puts him in good stead to advise his colleagues in PAS not to pursue the futility of their ways in defying the Federal Constitution by enacting the Syariah criminal law and insisting to set up an Islamic state," he said.
He said Salleh, who was party to an unanimous decision by four senior Supreme judges on February 1988 that the term "Islam" in the constitution only relates to rituals and ceremonies and not state, has the duty to ensure that PAS respects and abides by the Constitution.
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