Kit Siang threatens to quit Pakatan meetings if PAS insists on hudud

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has threatened to boycott Pakatan Rakyat council meetings if its coalition partner, PAS, insists on going ahead with its hudud plan in Kelantan.

“If the Kelantan State Assembly special meeting to push through the implementation of hudud, which even the PAS Central Committee is unaware of, is held, I see no purpose in my attending any future Pakatan Rakyat Presidential Council meetings, and I leave it to the party to decide on its next course of action,” he wrote on his blog on Wednesday.

Lim said that if PAS "comes to an agreement to implement hudud at the Dec 29 Kelantan State Assembly special sitting, it will be a ‘point of no return’ for both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat."

Lim voiced his support of PKR deputy president Azmin Ali who said "PAS should bring the issue to Pakatan’s presidential council for discussion as hudud is not a common policy of the coalition."

It was reported that Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob quashed rumours that the sitting has been postponed due to the critical flood situation.

“We will be going ahead with the special meeting as the flood situation is under control. It is not true that the meeting has been deferred,” he said.

The sitting is to discuss amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code II 1993 which, if approved, would then be inserted into two private member’s Bills that will be tabled in Parliament by a PAS MP.

Lim argued that PAS had not raised the matter at Pakatan presidential council and by pushing for hudud in Kelantan, the party was ‘renegading’ on its promise to keep to Pakatan’s common policy framework.

According to a decision made at a Sept 28, 2011 presidential council meeting, new issues relating to hudud would only be a part of Pakatan’s joint common policy framework if agreed upon by all members.

While reaffirming DAP’s stance against hudud, Lim argued that PAS’ actions could possibly cost the coalition the Kelantan state government and the chance to seize the Federal government.

“DAP leaders have agreed to disagree with PAS leaders on the issue of hudud because we believe we are on the same page to want to promote justice, freedom, democracy, good governance, incorruptibility and moderation in Malaysia,” said Lim.

“We believe that we are honest politicians who will not use devious and dishonest means to mislead and cheat voters to vote for PR candidates under false pretenses,” he said.