COMMENT We in the DAP understand the predicament faced by Azmin Ali, the deputy PKR leader, in advising both DAP and PAS to prioritise the interests of rakyat . A few days back, Azmin Ali also asked those who were critical of PAS not to be too hard on the party and its newly elected president, Hadi Awang.

We understand that Azmin would not have assumed the post of menteri besar of Selangor without the support of PAS. It was the vehement opposition of PAS towards both Anwar Ibrahim and Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that resulted in Azmin being chosen as the candidate.

While Azmin has every right to be grateful to PAS for their favours, he cannot sweep aside the problems created by PAS by going against the common policy framework that was agreed and accepted by Pakatan.

As Lim Kit Siang ( photo ) said recently, without a common policy framework , it would make no sense to have the Pakatan functioning as political coalition. And this is not to mention the gargantuan task of dismantling the archaic and decadent BN political structure that has brought nothing by hardship and misery to Malaysians.

We are not asking Azmin to take sides in the present conflict between DAP and PAS. All we want him to do is to take an objective look at the events that precipitated the crisis between the two coalition partners leading to PAS severing ties with DAP.

DAP’s opposition to extreme forms of Islamic impositions whether they came from Umno or PAS is well-known in the country.

Muslims might not accept DAP’s intrusion into the realm of religion, but in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia and given the considerable support for DAP, more so after 2008, DAP had to take a principled stand. Of course, this stand might not be popular to some sections within Pakatan! But a public stand must be taken by the DAP immaterial of the consequences.

DAP is the only party that took strong and principled stand in opposing PAS’ version of an Islamic state. It was DAP that opposed when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that Malaysia was an ‘Islamic state’, especially in the immediate aftermath of al-Qaeda attacks against targets in Washington and New York.

Mahathir wanted to endear himself to the West by describing Malaysia as a ‘moderate’ ‘Islamic state’.

The  announcement that Malaysia was an ‘Islamic state’ by Mahathir had all to do with local politics. It was one of the attempts to dent the appeal of the PAS’ version of an ‘Islamic state’.

Shifting the goal post to ‘hudud’

PAS like a chameleon moves from one political position to another, all in the name of Islam. Since ‘Islamic state’ was never palatable to Malaysians, both Muslims and non-Muslims, it shifted the goal post to ‘hudud’.

The call for hudud became the battle-cry of PAS, especially the ulama faction, leading to the passage of legislation in the Kelantan state assembly in 1991. Subsequent attempts  to amend the Syariah law both at the state and federal levels that sowed the seeds of major discord between PAS and DAP.

DAP has a lot of respect for PKR leaders. DAP has always maintained that Anwar Ibrahim should be the next prime minister of Malaysia.

DAP supported the decision of PKR to field Wan Azizah in the Kajang by-election as a route to assume the position of Selangor menteri besar.

It was DAP that always supported the collective decision made by PKR on matters of national interest.

When the candidacy of Wan Azizah was not acceptable to the Selangor royalty, then DAP went along with the PKR leaders in choosing the next candidate. When Azmin was picked as the likely candidate for the menteri besar’s post, the DAP went along with it. It never opposed Azmin.

However, it was different ball-game with PAS. They sided with Khalid Ibrahim, the former menteri besar of Selangor, without even respecting the collective decision of PKR. Following this betrayal, they opposed the candidacy of Wan Azizah although she was the preferred choice of PKR.

The views of the Selangor royalty were conveniently invoked to ensure that Wan Azizah would never be made the menteri besar.

In the end, PAS, despite the norms of common policy framework,  betrayed PKR. They threw their support behind Azmin ( photo ), thinking that he would be amenable to their long-term interests in Selangor.

Who betrayed PKR? Was it DAP or PAS? Who threw tantrums against the PKR’s preferred choice of Wan Azizah? Who clandestinely worked with the former Selangor menteri besar in undermining the authority of Anwar Ibrahim?

We hope that  Azmin will remember all these misdeeds of PAS before asking the DAP to prioritise the interests of the rakyat.

The DAP is not a party that was born yesterday. It has more than four decades of political experience.

It is perhaps the only party that had endured all kinds of hardship and persecutions to keep the flame of democracy, justice and freedom burning in Malaysia!

It has been made clear, that as long as the opportunistic and greedy ulama are helming PAS, it would be impossible for the DAP to have any working relationship.

For some time, some of us were deluded into thinking that PAS was a principled and disciplined party, but today we realise that it is no better than Umno. No wonder, devoid of principles, both the parties, are moving closer for a final embrace!

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the assemblyperson for Perai.