INTERVIEW PAS did not allow delegates at last month's muktamar to debate a motion on severing ties with DAP, for the other party's own good, said a PAS vice president.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini , Idris Ahmad ( photo ) said an open debate may have hurt DAP's standing with the Malays.

"We did not allow a debate because it was a sensitive issue, it could make the situation worse.

"We see that DAP can get along with the Malays because of PAS. [...] All this while PAS has neutralised (tensions) between Malays and DAP.

"So we did not want DAP's attacks on PAS to be a reason for (delegates) to attack DAP. We don't want disharmonious backward politics," he said.

Idris cited an attack on DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang in Masai, Johor, as something that he feared would happen if the Malays did not like DAP.

Last month PAS approved a motion to sever ties with DAP without debate at their annual muktamar.

Former PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar had said then that it was too sensitive to discuss as well, but gave an extremely odd anecdote of a young girl and breast-groping to justify the decision.

PAS has yet to decide on motion

Despite this, DAP decided the motion meant PAS had severed ties irrevocably, and thus pronounced the Pakatan opposition pact dead.

Idris however maintained that PAS has yet to decide on whether to execute the motion.

"We have not made a decision. [...] PAS did not flip-flop on this. If you look at the original motion by the ulama wing, it is for the syura council and central leadership to study (whether to cut ties)," he said.

PAS spiritual leader Haron Din said a verdict on the motion will be made before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, but it seems that it may be a moot point by then.

PAS progressives are already moving to form a new Islamist party, and plans to form a new Pakatan coalition without PAS appears to be in the works.

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