KUCHING: DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and his son Lim Guan Eng, who is the party secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister, must make their stand on Hudud laws as remaining silent means consent.
PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing pointed out that the father and son politician team must make a stand on this very important religious issue which would affect every Malaysian.
“Their (Kit Siang and Guan Eng) deafening silence on Hudud laws means that they consent to PAS’ agenda on this important religious issue (the implementation of Hudud law in the country if they came to power),” Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Describing both DAP’s and PAS’ philosophical views as “poles apart”, he thus urged the people not to be taken for a ride by them.
“Everyone knows that Pakatan Rakyat is merely a marriage of convenience between DAP, PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). So, our people should realise that by now and they should not be easily swayed by their rhetoric,” said Masing.
State DAP chief Wong Ho Leng, on the other hand, defended his party bosses, saying Hudud laws would never be implemented in the country even if Pakatan Rakyat came to power after the next general election.
He said based on ‘Buku Jingga’ (Orange Book) the DAP as a partner of Pakatan Rakyat would not allow Hudud laws to be implemented in the country.
“It is enshrined in our Federal Constitution that Malaysia is a secular country. So, as far as the DAP is concerned, it will never allow Hudud laws to be implemented even if Pakatan Rakyat came into power after the next general election,” said Wong.
Wong also assured that should Pakatan Rakyat come to power, the DAP had agreed to disagree with PAS that Hudud would not be implemented.
“We have come to an understanding that if DAP rejects Hudud then it would not be implemented by PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as the decision to implement Hudud must be unanimous by all three parties,” stressed Wong, who is also MP of Sibu.
He also stressed that Pakatan Rakyat’s ideology was written in ‘Buku Jingga’.
“SUPP, Gerakan and MCA have been belittling us on this issue. To know our struggle, they must read and understand the ‘Buku Jingga’,” said Wong, who is also Bukit Assek assemblyman.
Wong was commenting on former DAP deputy chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz’s statement, as quoted by a national newspaper, that since both DAP’s father and son leaders of Lim Kit Siang and Guan Eng were silent on Hudud, the party should quit Pakatan Rakyat.
While PBB Supreme Council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah would not like to debate on religious matter, he challenged Wong to tell PAS leaders what they would be advocating once they were in power.
“And it’s also wrong for PAS to use religion to garner support. They are playing politics. As we all know, they are sleeping on the same bed but having different dream,” said Karim, who is also Asajaya assemblyman.
Karim also urged Pakatan to explain the content of ‘Buku Jingga’ as not everyone had read it.