The DAP has hit out at PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for his remark that DAP is supportive of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) to support trade in the country, that is purportedly controlled by the Chinese community.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today the party remains “baffled” by Hadi’s “preposterous” claim as Malaysians would expect such misrepresentation of DAP’s position or a racially-tinged statement from Umno.

He said for a PAS leader to indulge in such “baseless untruths” shows that PAS is now not only co-operating with Umno but also adopting its “dirty politics of slander” against the DAP.

He reminded Hadi that the TPPA was initiated by Umno and not by DAP and the TPPA is led by the United States to restrict China’s influence geo-politically.

“If Hadi is so anti-Chinese, he should not be against, but support the TPPA to oppose China.

“Why has Hadi not blamed or criticised Umno? Or explained his failure to get Umno to heed his advice to oppose TPPA, since he is now an adviser to the BN federal government?” Lim asked.

Hadi’s remark came during a rally to say “No” to the TPPA, which will be inked in New Zealand next month.

DAP and PAS had been at loggerheads since Kelantan insisted on implementing hudud. The two parties eventually parted ways after PAS delegates denounced DAP at the the former's muktamar (general assembly) in June last year.

Since then, both parties have been engaged in mutual mud-slinging, especially after Hadi declared he would be an adviser to the BN government.

Lim told Hadi not to misrepresent the DAP’s position of opposing the TPPA, which has been announced several times before.

He explained that DAP opposed the TPPA due to its deep concern about the impact of prices on ordinary Malaysians, the wage-earners and the small-time businessmen such as the small and medium entreprises (SMEs).

He noted that nearly 40 percent of SMEs may close down because of the TTPA, a fact that the federal government has yet to address.

“How can Hadi be a national political leader if he does not understand simple economics?

“He refuses to blame Umno but misrepresents that DAP supports the US-led TPPA because the Chinese in Malaysia control trade,” Lim said.

“Using Hadi’s logic, then Umno must be Chinese, too, for initiating the passing of the TPPA in Parliament,” he said.

“Why then does Hadi continue to work with Umno and even advise the BN federal government?” he asked.

Lim said TPPA is not about race or religion but about its economic impact on the 30 million ordinary Malaysians of all races.

He added that Malaysians want to see a viable alternative that can perform better economically, and not hear speeches full of “baseless or illogical” statements relying merely on emotions and sentiments.

He said Hadi must compete with BN based on economic performance and not empty rhetoric.

“The people must be convinced of living a better life economically under a new alternative to BN, and not replace an economically-distressed country with a bankrupt state,” Lim said.

“DAP can showcase Penang as a model of good economic performance of annual budget surpluses, reduced debt and increased cash reserves as well as a welfare state that is not bankrupt. Can Hadi do the same for PAS?” he asked.

“In other words, is PAS willing to fight BN on the critical issue of economy and economic performance?”