Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat will address a DAP forum on "Islam and a just Malaysia" next month. The forum is the second inter-religious and inter-civilisational event organised by the DAP to bridge the gap of understanding between the urban constituency in Kuala Lumpur and the Islam-based party, PAS, now controlling two state governments.

DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang said that the forthcoming forum follows a maiden forum on Jan 22 titled "PAS Terengganu government - Towards a just Malaysia" led by Mentri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang, which was "very well attended and received".

Nik Aziz is expected to give a keynote address in the forum, to be held at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on March 3 at 8.30pm.

Besides Nik Aziz, PAS leaders who will join the panel dialogue are Deputy MB Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman, State Assembly Speaker Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah and State Exco in charge of Social Development, Community Relations, Health and Environment, Anuar Tan Abdullah.

Lim said the dialogues aimed to promote greater understanding between the different communities subscribing to different spiritual faiths and political ideologies.

Lim added that over the years, his party had been smeared as a "chauvinist" Chinese party which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, while PAS was labelled as an extremist Islamic party out to deprive non-Muslims and non-Malays of their fundamental rights.

In the recent general elections, Lim said the Chinese voters swung against the DAP and the Barisan Alternatif because they fell prey to MCA and Gerakan propaganda that a vote DAP is a vote for PAS and an Islamic state, where there would be no pork, no alcohol and no temples.

He pointed out that Malaysians who have visited Kelantan would know that these were falsehoods and lies, as pork is displayed and sold openly in Kota Baru, and the biggest "Sleeping Buddha" in Malaysia is to be found in that state.