The bickering between two allies in the Barisan Alternatif has resurfaced with DAP hitting back at PAS today in retaliation to the latter lashing out yesterday at DAP's open criticism on the Islamic state issue.

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said the party has stopped holding dialogues with PAS as the latter has continuously shrugged off questions pertaining to the implications of an Islamic state to non-Muslims in the country.

He said the party had previously consulted with the BA leadership council for resolutions and taken the initiatives to organise dialogues with PAS.

"But Nik Aziz was not listening to our questions and concerns, let alone responding or answering them," he said in a press statement.

Lim said PAS should convince Malaysians and allay the fears of non-Muslims on the Islamic state issue in line with the principles of democracy and a pluralist society.

Such a move is necessary to comfort Malaysians who do not want to see the existing division between bumiputra and non-bumiputra be replaced with a new segregation between Muslims and non-Muslims, he added.

"Malaysians want to see the end of racial hegemony in domestic politics but they do not want that to be replaced by another religious hegemony either," said Lim.

Liberal interpretation

Yesterday, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat reportedly said he could not accept tactics used by DAP to resolve their parties' differences over the Islamic state issue and accused the latter of 'kicking up a fuss' to the press.

Nik Aziz said DAP should have understood the Islamic state issue better and talked to PAS before threatening to quit from the BA or asking for a 'liberal interpretation' of the Islamic state.

In recent weeks, the squabble between PAS and DAP over the issue has made the headlines in the local press.

DAP deputy chairperson Karpal Singh had claimed the party's relationship with PAS was no longer tenable and advocated for a withdrawal from the BA if PAS did not abandon its insistence on setting-up and Islamic state if it came to power after the next general elections.

Earlier, PAS deputy president Abdul Hadi Awang who is also Terengganu Menteri Besar reportedly said that once an Islamic state is established, non-Muslims will be subjected to Islamic laws involving public interests although exception will be given for certain areas.

'Hijack democracy'

Last weekend at DAP's 13th annual congress, delegates mandated the central executive committee to take 'all necessary actions' to resolve the issue as they were sharply divided over the much-talked-about pullout from BA.

In his statement today, Lim said it is important for PAS to spell out its position on the Islamic state to counter the attacks by Umno and the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.

"Umno and the BN have always said that PAS was incompatible with democracy and it will only use the electoral process to hijack democracy after it wins the elections," said Lim.