GEORGE TOWN: DAP Sabah will uphold the spirit of Karpal Singh to reject the implementation of Hudud law in the country, said its chairman, Jimmy Wong.
“Karpal had spent his whole life upholding the spirit of being a Malaysian and had never compromised his principles, especially on the Hudud law controversy,” Wong, who is also Kota Kinabalu member of parliament, said.
“We must tell the world and all citizens of Malaysia that we will continue to uphold his spirit and the DAP Malaysian Malaysia ideology and stand firm to reject the Hudud law without compromising our principles and Karpal’s last will,” he said.
Wong, DAP Kapayan assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosi and DAP Sabah deputy chairman cum Sandakan member of parliament Stephen Wong yesterday paid their last tribute to the late Karpal Singh, DAP Malaysia chairman, here.
Karpal was killed in a car accident on Thursday and he was cremated yesterday.
Wong reminded that DAP will never agree to the implementation of Hudud law as it is not under the Constitution and is against the Malaysia Agreement.
He took Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Teo Chee Kang to task for accusing DAP without any basis, of allowing the Hudud law to be passed seemingly under consensus of Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
“Let me remind you that we, DAP, pulled out from Barisan Alternative in 2001 as our dedication to reject Hudud law, and we will do the same again to leave PR if this Bill is going to pass in parliament without consensus and compromise our principles whereby Malaysia should be a secular state,” he stressed.
“We wish to reiterate that we will continue the late Karpal’s struggle and unfulfilled dream to make Malaysia a democratic, equal and free state, with freedom of religion.”
Wong also assured Sabahans that DAP MPs in Sabah will not tolerate or compromise Sabahans’ and Malaysians’ interest, and will certainly vote “nay” or reject thoroughly the Hudud Bill.
He also said that DAP has been fighting for a Malaysian Malaysia for more than 40 years. It is obvious the Hudud Bill is against the spirit of Malaysia which comprises Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya.
“As it is not in the Malaysia Agreement and Constitution, not only Sabahans must reject it, but all Malaysians should reject it,” he reiterated.
Wong challenged Teo and the rest of the BN component parties to show their political will and courage to leave BN, just like DAP will leave PR, should Umno support the Hudud Bill and not carry on ‘politicking’
“We wish to remind Teo that we will not tolerate this issue. Be serious when you simply want to talk anything. This is our (DAP) principle and we will definitely not compromise on this, now and forever.
“If Teo and the other BN component parties have no guts to tell Umno that Hudud law is not appropriate, then they are in no position to tell DAP what we should do! Instead, it would appear that they are the real traitors who betray Sabahans and compromise Malaysians’ interest,” he added.
National DAPSY publicity secretary Junz Wong also said that DAP would never agree to the implementation of the Hudud law.
He said that Teo’s comment that DAP seemed powerless to do anything (about Hudud law) was both superficial and not true.
Responding to Teo’s remarks that DAP has the most parliamentarians in PR, so all DAP needs to do is to vote against Hudud, Junz asked if the BN Sabah parliamentarians would do the same.
“DAP is a party with principles and has been consistent in its struggles for the people. If PAS strongly insisted on Hudud, DAP would rather choose to part ways with PR than to agree to Hudud implementation. I’m positive,” Junz affirmed.
“I would leave PR if Hudud implementation is strongly insisted through PR even if there is consensus because my ultimate struggle is for Sabah and Sabahans cannot accept the implementation of Hudud law,” he said in a statement yesterday.