The opposition coalition, in which DAP is a vital part, does not have implementation of hudud in Malaysia in its newly-crafted manifesto, nor on its older but still relevant agenda called the Common Policy Framework, its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reiterated today.

The Penang chief minister and chief spokesperson for the DAP made this clarification after a triumphant glissade through a busy marketplace in Sungai Acheh in mainland Penang, where he was mobbed by stallholders and people doing their Sunday marketing.

NONE Responding to a question on today's Sunday Star front page report quoting Johor DAP deputy chairperson Norman Fernandez as urging voters in Johor not to vote for PAS because of the party's longstanding policy favouring syariah, Lim said:

"He (Fernandez) is not a candidate. That is his individual view. We are a democratic party and individuals are allowed to express their views.

"This is an issue the BN played up 20 years ago and will play up 20 years from now," Lim said at a press conference at the party's office in Jawi , after his walkabout there as well, during which he was accompanied by the DAP candidate for the state seat, Soon Lip Chee, and Badrul Hisham Shahrin or Chegubard, the PKR candidate for neighbouring Sungai Acheh.

"On the major issues, we in Pakatan have agreed to go by consensus," he added.

Lim was on a visit to constituencies on mainland Penang to boost the chances of Pakatan candidates.

He was guarded in his remarks, possibly because Fernandez has been known to be upset with the way DAP central leadership handled the choice of candidates for parliamentary and state seats in Johor, an arena that has become a major focus of Pakatan's goal of winning the keys to Putrajaya.

Fernandez said in the Sunday Star report that this was his individual view, and that "Johoreans, and particularly non-Muslims, must think hard and deep if PAS is really worthy of their votes."

Some in the DAP Johor leadership are unhappy that candidates recommended by the state chapter have been slighted in favour of those from outside the state.

Lim did not allude to these undercurrents but instead opted for a stance of democratic pluralism towards the potentially disruptive remarks made by Fernandez, which he sees as duly exploited by the media mouthpiece of DAP's rival, MCA.