Sarawak PAS and PKR are worried about DAP’s decision to quit Pakatan yesterday over the hudud row as they want the state opposition to remain united and strong.

PKR chief Baru Bian said residents are saddened by the fracture which further entrenches BN’s grip on the state.

“I think Sarawakians are very unhappy with the dissolution of Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat because without unity in Pakatan in Sarawak, there will be no alternative to the Barisan Nasional.

“The people want to see a strong opposition in the state.

“As far as Sarawak PKR is concerned, we would like to preserve unity,” said Baru ( middle in pic ), who is also the assemblyperson for Ba’Kelalan.

Sarawak PAS Commissioner Adam Ahid said that DAP’s decision was regrettable.

“However, we cannot stop DAP as it is its right whether to remain in Pakatan or quit. Disagreement is normal, and even a husband and his wife also often quarrel,” he said.

Yesterday Sarawak DAP announced that it has quit the state Pakatan with immediate effect because it could no longer work with PAS, whose plan to table the amendment to enable hudud implementation is against pakatan’s common policy framework.

State DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said at a press conference that the “painful” decision reflects the wishes of the majority in the state and the party has the autonomy to make the “unanimous” call.

However, it invited Sarawak PKR to form a new coalition.

S’wak BN says it’s election gimmick

Sarawak Pakatan was formed by the three parties before the state election in 2011. For the first time, the opposition managed to win 15 state seats – 12 by DAP in urban constituencies, and three by PKR.

In the 2013 parliamentary election, the coalition won six seats – five by DAP and one by PKR.

 

Chong said yesterday that the political game played between UMNO and PAS in the Kelantan hudud law episode had shown clearly that Sarawak was no place for the politics of both UMNO and PAS.

“Such irresponsible political maneuvering by PAS and UMNO will not only lead to the break-up of PR but may also break up Barisan Nasional.  

“It is a blatant disregard of the Treatise in the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and thus may ultimately lead to the break-up of Malaysia as a nation,” he said.

Chong warned that if both PAS and UMNO were to persist in pursuing the implementation of hudud law in Malaysia or any State in Malaysia, this would add fuel to the secession sentiment in Sarawak for the simple reason that in 1963, Sarawak did not join to form a nation which implemented hudud law.

 

Meanwhile, the state BN described DAP’s move as as a “gimmick” because of the impending state election.

“We believe what happened in Pakatan was just an act and an election gimmick because DAP knows it has disappointed voters for failing to fulfil its promises from the last election,” BN Youth chief Fadillah Yusof said in a statement yesterday.