DAP adviser questions if PR will survive till GE14

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian opposition veteran Lim Kit Siang yesterday issued a warning of an imminent break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if its partners do not mend ties following the fractious Selangor political crisis. He even suggested the possibility of the pact not surviving until the next general election.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) adviser said consensus-building and a reaffirmation of the PR’s common policy framework were necessary to prevent the pact from becoming a “one general-election wonder”.

The DAP, together with the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), form the PR opposition alliance and jointly control Selangor, Malaysia’s richest state.

The PR won 52 per cent of the popular vote in the 13th general election last year, which saw the ruling Barisan Nasional’s worst electoral performance and the pact retaining the prized state.

“The question on everyone’s mind is whether the Pakatan Rakyat will be around as a coalition to contest the 14th general election (GE14) to replace the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Putrajaya,” Mr Lim said in a statement yesterday.

Drawing on his experience of witnessing the 2001 break-up of another opposition alliance, the Barisan Alternatif opposition pact, over yet another conflict between the DAP and PAS, Mr Lim said the pact needed to rebuild consensus among its component parties.

“How is the Pakatan Rakyat and PR leadership council to function if consensus is not going to be the PR’s guiding operating principle?” he asked.

A protracted political crisis over who should helm Selangor’s Chief Minister role had exposed bitter divisions within the alliance and threatened to split the pact.

The months-long drama was centred on PKR’s attempt to remove the state’s then incumbent Chief Minister Khalid Ibrahim, so it could nominate its president and wife of PR opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as his replacement — a move the DAP supported.

However, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang refused to nominate Dr Wan Azizah and, in a move that further worsened ties, publicly criticised her by saying she was not fit to be the next Selangor Chief Minister.

The crisis came to an end when the Selangor Sultan last week appointed PKR deputy president Azmin Ali to take over from Mr Khalid, saying he was the only candidate with support across all ranks of the opposition.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday also dismissed speculation that a possible motion of no-confidence could be moved against Mr Azmin in the next assembly, which is expected to sit in November, saying he had not received any indication that such a move would take place.

The Penang Chief Minister, who is the younger son of the DAP adviser, was responding to a statement by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who had said ahead of the Sultan’s appointment of Mr Azmin that the PR should accept the palace’s choice for the post and not resort to a motion of no-confidence.

“Azmin should be given solid backing to get on with the business of governing Selangor for the rakyat’s (citizen’s) benefit and need not look over his shoulder every time he carries out his duties,” he said.

Dr Mahathir’s remark was issued following talk that Mr Azmin was the Selangor Sultan’s preferred candidate for the post instead of Dr Wan Azizah.

A day later, Mr Azmin was sworn in as Selangor’s 15th Chief Minister.

The PAS has appeared to put the matter to rest. Its spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat yesterday expressed his support for Mr Azmin, said a report in The Star Online.

“I pray Azmin realises it is his responsibility to uphold and upkeep democracy,” he was quoted as saying by the paper. Agencies