DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng today said that urging PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to attend Pakatan Rakyat meetings was done "out of respect" for the Islamic party.

 

In a statement, Lim said that Abdul Hadi is seen as the only person who can make a final decision on PAS' stand on certain matters, and there are doubts if other PAS leaders in Pakatan meetings can actually represent the party's final position.

 

As an example, he cited the Selangor menteri besar crisis, where Abdul Hadi acted contrary to what was agreed in Pakatan meetings which were attended his deputy or secretary general.

 

"In fact in PAS' recent muktamar, Abdul Hadi said that he had the right to reject a decision by the PAS central committee and make a decision on his own. DAP accepts this statement as no one within PAS has disputed this fact," he said.

 

Lim ( left ) was responding to PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali who had earlier criticised DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke for urging Hadi to attend Pakatan meetings, calling Loke's statement a form of interference into PAS' internal party matters.

 

"The DAP and PKR representatives in the meetings have the right to make decisions for their parties in the meetings, but who else can represent PAS if the party president himself won't attend?" Lim asked.

 

He said that a top Pakatan leadership meeting without Hadi is akin to "not being attended by PAS at all."

 

"I have ordered Loke to directly communicate to Mustafa Ali and let him know about our stand in wanting the PAS president to attend Pakatan meetings," he said.