PAS Warns DAP Not To Interfere

ALOR STAR, July 28 (Bernama) -- PAS warned the DAP against interfering in the former's affairs and further stressed that it had the right to discuss with anyone including Umno.
Kedah PAS commissioner Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said PAS would not follow the instructions of anyone in its struggle and as such, the DAP, which was its ally in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), had no right to stop or determine PAS' actions.
"PAS, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) only cooperated as Pakatan Rakyat to face the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the general election. (It is) not an alliance like BN," he said.
"Malaysia is a free country and why must we follow others' instructions," Azizan said when asked to comment on DAP chairman Karpal Singh's statement that the PR review PAS' participation following its action of having discussions with Umno on Malay unity.
Sunday Karpal said he considered PAS' actions as being insincere as it raised doubts about its credibility in the PR and as such its participation had to be reviewed.
Karpal's latest statement is seen as a sign of cracks in the opposition coalition.
Azizan, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar said Karpal had no right to question any of PAS' actions or ask PAS to refer to the DAP or the PR if it wanted to have discussions with Umno. "Karpal himself had said that it would be over his dead body if the PR would talk to Umno. PAS has done so. Now it is up to him (to take further action)," Azizan said.
He said PAS actually welcomed the efforts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Umno president, to have the 'muzakarah' (discussions) as PAS had long hoped that the noble intention would be realised.
"The story of PAS urging Umno to hold discussions is not new, so there is nothing to be worried about by the parties in the PR," Azizan said.
In SHAH ALAM, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in trying to assuage the situation said the developments between PAS and DAP were normal political problems that occurred in all political parties.
Abdul Khalid, who is also Selangor PKR chairman, said friction and differences in opinions did not only happen in the PR but also among parties in the BN.
"Political problems are normal problems. In Umno too there are problems, in the PR also there are differences in views but in the end political efforts are for the benefit of the people.
Otherwise, why enter politics," he told reporters after officiating a workshop organised by the 'Task Force on Land' together with the Selangor state government.
Asked if he thought PAS' action in meeting with Umno was a mistake, he said: "No, this is politics... I feel that PAS will try to evaluate its situation but whatever it is, the leadership of PAS, PKR and the DAP wish to state that the PR is stable."
In IPOH, the Perak Umno liaison committee chairman, Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali offered to cooperate with PAS to form the state government following the negative attitude of the DAP towards PAS and to follow up with uniting both parties.
He said the offer was made following the call by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat that Umno and PAS be dissolved to set up a new party based on Islam to unite the Malays and to protect all including non-Muslims.
"Perak Umno would like to start with the first step towards affiliation... to stem Malay disunity and for political stability and for a stronger Perak state government," he told reporters at the Perak Umno building here Monday.
He said the Kelantan Menteri Besar's proposal was good and Perak, with a plural society, was a good place to begin with compared to Kelantan which had a Malay and Muslim majority.
He said Umno with 27 state assemblymen and a MCA assemblyman was ready to cooperate with PAS which has six assemblymen compared with the PR which had 31 assemblymen.
"Perak Umno is ready to have a menteri besar from PAS... the differences between DAP and PAS are greater than those between PAS and Umno that had cooperated at one time under (Prime Minister) Tun Abdul Razak," he said.
Tajol Rosli said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was a good leader but headed a fragile government. The PR government in Perak has 18 DAP assemblymen, PKR (7) and PAS (6).
Meanwhile, Perak Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the DAP should not be worried about PAS' credibility as PAS had "normal discussions" with Umno.
Mohammad Nizar, who is Perak PAS deputy commissioner II, said PAS gave a commitment to cooperate with the PR both at state and national levels.
"Actually there is no 'muzakarah'. If we look back it is only normal meetings, an interview that is 'muqabalah'. So the question of 'muzakarah' does not arise.
"We have not joined with Umno. If we had maybe the question can arise but we are not," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the Perak Water Board here Monday.
Mohammad Nizar also rejected Perak Umno's offer to cooperate with it to form the state government as it had given a commitment to DAP and PKR to endure and together lead the state.
tunku : i am impressed with what Kedah menteri besar said . he told the truth that pas, dap and pkr only cooperated as pakatan rakyat to face the BN in the general election and its not an alliance like BN. this is the truth.azizan has challenged karpal to take any action as pas had discussed with umno though karpal said over his dead body if PR to hold talks with umno.this man(karpal) is full of hatred and arrogant. and i can see his sons too following his footstep. most of dap leaders are full of hatred and arrogant towards umno in particular and malay at large which is not good for the nation of multiracial.