Chong (seated ourth right) in a photo call with the state DAP committee members in Sibu.
SIBU: Sarawak DAP yesterday threatened to pull out from the state Pakatan Rakyat if PAS failed to make clear its plan for hudud law implementation in Sarawak.
During the state DAP meeting here yesterday, the opposition party also resolved to stop attending all activities hosted by Pakatan Rakyat and PAS with immediate effect until two conditions set by them for PAS were met.
The two conditions are that PAS Malaysia reverts to the common policies of Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto in the last general election and that PAS would not pursue the implementation of hudud law in Sarawak.
State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said: “We mean business. There is no compromise on this religious issue. We shall not even go to the negotiation table with them to talk about seat allocations for the coming state election until the two conditions are met.”
Chong said the national DAP would not meddle with Sarawak DAP matters, but, they (Sarawak DAP) would inform them of their resolutions.
He said the state DAP would let the national DAP discuss the religious issue with PAS, and they would give a time frame for PAS to response.
“It could be a week, a month or two months, but it will not be more than two months.”
To show PAS their seriousness, Sarawak DAP wielded their axe immediately after the meeting yesterday morning.
“We will be distributing dates to our Muslim friends this afternoon (Sunday) in Sibu. We invited PAS to join us. But after passing the resolutions this morning, we advised PAS members that if they join our activity this afternoon, they would have to come as members of the public and not as PAS members.”
Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, expressed his party’s frustration by stating: “While PAS wants to go ahead with the hudud law implementation, PKR has been keeping quiet.”
He reiterated that PAS Kelatan had met with the Prime Minister’s Department last Thursday to discuss about the implementation of hudud law in Kelantan.
Chong said the hudud law implementation had become a grave concern after the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) studied the legality to bypass parliament in order to implement the Islamic law.
He said the department concluded they could do so, and that a two-thirds majority from parliament was not needed to pass the law.
“Our meeting today (yesterday) resolved that hudud law implementation is against the common manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat in the last election, the Federal Constitution, and the agreement forged in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
“Sarawak DAP regrets the silence and non-committal of PKR, and that until the demands of Sarawak DAP are met, we shall withdraw from Pakatan Rakyat and refrain from all activities hosted by Pakatan Rakyat and PAS.”