DAP backs Anwar Ibrahim as Pakatan Rakyat Coalition Leader
www.malaysiakini.com
Lim Guan Eng: DAP supports Anwar
February 9, 2009
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has backed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as Parliamentary opposition leader and to lead the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
In a contrasting view from his party chair Karpal Singh following Karpal’s outburst, Lim said the Pakatan Rakyat leadership has clearly endorsed a position that no individual party policy can be a Pakatan policy unless it is endorsed unanimously by all three parties.
“I would like to state that the DAP reaffirms its support for Pakatan Rakyat to establish an alternative government that is democratic, people-centric and with an ethical leadership based on the five principles of freedom, justice, truth, social welfare and universal moral values,” he said.
“In this regard, the DAP supports Anwar as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, and will remain so, There is no single leader who has ever questioned this during internal meetings.”
Different views normal
Lim, who is also the Penang Chief Minister said this in a statement in responding to Karpal’s call on Anwar to step down as Pakatan Rakyat leader.
Karpal had blamed Anwar for the disarray in Pakatan which was caused by the PKR leader’s continuous rhetoric of forming government with the aid of defectors from Barisan Nasional. “He has created enough trouble and it is time for him to bertaubat (repent). It’s time Pakatan got itself another leader,” the DAP chairperson said in his scathing attack on Anwar.
Lim acknowledges there are different view points within Pakatan Rakyat but all these are taken in stride in the opposition coalition. Referring to the hudud issue as an example, DAP’s view on hudud is crystal clear and regardless of whatever support for hudud and the establishment of an Islamic state, whether from PAS or PKR, this will not be the Pakatan Rakyat’s policy as long as DAP does not agree with it.
“Similarly, the DAP leadership has been consistently urging the government to enact an anti-hopping law even before the Perak crisis. We have also expressed support of our MPs to do so. As BN does not have a two-third parliamentary majority, the support of all 28 DAP MPs will be required to effect any constitutional amendment for such anti-hopping laws.”
Lim said as party secretary-general, he was duty-bound to execute these policies but should any member wishes to change them, they are required to use proper party channels to do so.
Emploring Karpal to use proper party channel Lim said “I appeal to Karpal as chair of the DAP to use internal party channels and not use the BN-controlled media, should he wish to change these policies or even criticise my leadership.”
The DAP secretary-general emphasised the party remains committed towards a multi-racial, multi religious and multi-cultural Malaysia, and its deep conviction in the Bangsa Malaysia concept.
“DAP is inclusive of all races and religions. We represent the interests and fights for the rights of every Malaysian,” said Lim.
DAP will have to grow
However, he pledged that the party was willing to undertake a transformational process which may be painful but necessary. “We have no alternative but to grow without compromising our basic principles,” he said.
“As a democratic party, DAP policies can be changed in accordance with the wishes of its members. However until today there has been no requests to question or disturb the basic framework of co-operation between the three parties of DAP, PAS and PKR that makes up Pakatan Rakyat.”
Pakatan Rakyat controls 82 seats, compared to 137 BN-controlled legislators in the 222-seat lower House of Parliament.
Commenting on the issue, Penang Gerakan Youth chief Oh Tong Keong has called on Lim to state whether he supports “party-hopping” as a means of forming a government.
“They had different stands on the hudud law issue, yet DAP did not dare leave Pakatan. This is because DAP members want to remain in power and did not dare offend PAS or PKR,” the Star quoted Oh as saying.
This is a timely statement. But PR needs to improve its public relations (also PR!) mechanism quickly.
Isa Manteqi - February 9, 2009 at 10:26 pm
This is the second time LGE has to step in to do damage control and at both instances it involved Karpal.
Maybe(as in perhaps, not a suggestion), it’s time Karpal makes a graceful exit. Even great fighters like Muhammad Ali has to retire eventually. It is not a shame.
Even Formula One racers are taken off the circuit once its warrant of fitness has expired.
And with all due respect to Karpal Singh, the “Lion of Jelutong” was once one hell of a fighter.
“They had different stands on the hudud law issue, yet DAP did not dare leave Pakatan. This is because DAP members want to remain in power and did not dare offend PAS or PKR,” the Star quoted Oh as saying”
Will you listen to yourself , you twit ! Has Gerakan left the BN already ?
ocho-onda - February 9, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Karpal has been great in being steadfast and true to the good causes he has fought for. He is also invaluable in being a rock against all the evil that that has crept into beloved Malaysia.
However, he should understand that the ground has shifted and it is a new day about to dawn for Malaysia.
Having said that, it is good for there to be open internal debate in PR. Look at the democrats and republicans in the US. Some of the harshest words are directed against their own party members. They even go to the extent of two year bitter public debates to decide on their presidential candidates.
One of the great strengths of PR is that each of the component parties can go on with their own agenda. So let PAS promote Hudud and let DAP oppose it. Nothing wrong with that as long as in the most important central issues there is common ground – issues like rule of law, a common citizenship and the like.
Look at the opposite, in BN there is no open debate and the perception of the majority of Malaysians clearly is that it is dictatorial UMNO and a few prostitute infested parties. Do we want that perception for PR? Stop the open debates and PR will become the same as BN!!
Anwar makes a lot of faulty judgments but overall he has done very well. He has talents and an understandable burning desire to win the big price. Since that will deliver a system of two opposing coalitions to Malaysian politics, we should all rejoice.
Karpal, my dear friend of 40 years, with all due respects DAP has to sink or swim with PAS. I too hope that Hudud will never be applied to Malaysia but in a democracy as an adapted version of the wise saying goes “we should fight Hudud with all we have but we should defend the right of PAS to promote Hudud democratically with our life” That is very important, if we do not defend the right of all to democratically promote whatever is dear to them, however much we may detest what they promote, what alternative is left? Violence? Intolerance of all aspects of life? Let the debates be open and let the voters decide. Do not be afraid, voters are very wise.
No my dear Karpal, we have to defend their right to promote what they want to promote, so long as it is all done within just laws.
I could go on for a few more pages but will end here as I did in another post by quoting “Let a hundred flowers bloom” in PR and let them be openly displayed. Open debate without being disagreeable is what PR needs most of all. It will open up new ideas, reduce mistakes, engage the people……….and lots more.
bangsamalaya - February 10, 2009 at 12:33 am
Kudos to Pakatan, you’ve by agreeing to disagree attain greater political maturity far higher despite your coalition infancy compared the BN retards. Please continue to allow dissent and discource. The chinese says even the fingers of our hand are different, and may I add even the two halves of our brains. A family stays together no matter how different the views or outlooks of its members. My spouse and I had and still have never quite see most things the same way, but we appreciate the beauty and benefit of difference and diversity for the last 30 plus years.
kattan - February 10, 2009 at 11:47 am
Twit = Slang: a foolishly annoying person
Twat = Slang: a man who is a stupid incompetent fool [syn: fathead]
Mr Bean - February 10, 2009 at 7:35 pm
“One of the great strengths of PR is that each of the component parties can go on with their own agenda. So let PAS promote Hudud and let DAP oppose it. Nothing wrong with that as long as in the most important central issues there is common ground – issues like rule of law, a common citizenship and the like.”
Malaysians of two and three generations have lived under a near totalitarian rule for some five decades. Do not expect them to understand that certain core values are needed for democracy to thrive.
Mr Bean - February 10, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Developing countries since the 60s embarked on the road to nation building. Their leaders have succeeded in forging nation states rather than nations out of disparate communities but at what cost?
Today we speak of democracy but understand very little what the word means and what it takes to build a democracy. We talk of the importance of free speech and yet when a fellow citizen speaks in the language of one who dissents he is labeled with adjectives that only a mind that does not tolerate free expression would find acceptable.
To some of these countries ‘nation building’ is nothing more than euphemism.
Mr Bean - February 10, 2009 at 7:55 pm