Sabah PKR’s decision to cut ties with its PAS counterparts does not reflect PKR’s official stand, deputy president Azmin Ali said.

The party’s Sabah chief Lajim Ukin and Sabah DAP chief Jimmy Wong yesterday announced the parties are ceasing ties with Sabah PAS.

“We will hear the state’s explanation and raise this in the political bureau meeting. Our stand at national level is to defend and strengthen Pakatan Rakyat.

“(Pakatan Sabah and Sarawak) has not broken up. There are differences in opinions and this is a state-level view, but the final decision will be made at central level,” he said when met at Selangor state assembly building lobby today.

Sabah PKR and DAP announcement comes after Sarawak DAP last week said it is withdrawing from Pakatan Rakyat.

 

'Refer Sabah to disciplinary committee '

 

Meanwhile PKR national deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin has urged the party to refer the Sabah leadership to the disciplinary committee for its decision to cut ties with PAS over the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

 

Afif said he was upset about the decision by PKR Sabah chief Lajim Ukin as it was “erratic and premature” and was done without consultation with PKR’s central leadership.

 

“I strongly suggest that Lajim be referred to the disciplinary committee, A rash decision like this will tarnish efforts to strengthen Pakatan during these difficult times,” added the Penang executive council member.

 

Afif was referring to Sabah DAP and PKR which decided to sever ties with PAS, following Sarawak DAP’s decision to do the same last week.

 

In making the decision yesterday, Sabah PKR Muslim leaders said they did not oppose hudud but merely opposed its implementation in Malaysia.

 

The Sabah break-up follows the decision by the central DAP leadership to cut ties with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for his “dishonesty” in wanting to propose a Private Members Bill in Parliament.

 

Pakatan allies, especially DAP and PAS, have been tussling over the hudud issue. Kelantan had passed amendments supporting it last month.

 

PKR has issued a strong statement that it opposed PAS’ intention to present he hudud bill in Parliament as it was not part of the Pakatan common manifesto.

 

Afif added any decisions by state leaders were bound to affect the party at national level.

 

He maintained that Lajim had jumped the gun in joining DAP to cut ties with PAS as PKR’s central leadership had not agreed to that.

 

“Consultation and consensus over issues between the parties in Pakatan continues. We have always cooperated since 1998 when we were in Barisan Alternatif and then in Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. 

 

“We agreed not challenge each other during election. It is so easy now for some leader just to come in and destroy what had been built up over so many years,” Afif lamented.

 

He noted that that PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had stated that the party will remain committed to Pakatan, and nothing was said about cutting ties with any political party.

 

“From what we gather, the decision by Sabah leadership was made without discussing with the Central PKR leadership. Sabah leaders merely said they will explain the matter to the political bureau tonight,” said the Seberang Jaya assemblyman.

 

Afif said PKR should remain committed to Pakatan, adding that even at the height of the hudud law debate, PKR did not cut ties with PAS in Kelantan.

 

“We have our differences but it for us to resolve it with consensus and cooperation - that is the spirit of  Pakatan all this while,” he asserted.