DAP joins PKR in censuring PAS over controversial WhatsApp message

DAP today said it was aggrieved over the controversial WhatsApp message which showed a PAS central committee member discussing the possibility of leaving Pakatan Rakyat, joining PKR in calling for the Islamist party to make a firm stand over the issue.

Its national organising secretary Anthony Loke called on PAS to take appropriate action to earn back the confidence of PR supporters around the country.

This follows the leaked Whatsapp conversation among PAS central committee members, in which PAS research centre operations director Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki said that if PAS should leave Pakatan, the coalition could still retain Selangor with Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim remaining as menteri besar if it joined forces with Umno to form the state government with a simple majority.

"We are aggrieved over the matter. The first thing is Zuhdi has not denied writing the message but has defended himself by saying that what he had written was a 'scenario analysis' based on a suggestion by a PAS leader for the party to leave the coalition.

"Whether or not PAS remains in PR is up to its leadership, but the proposal to join with Umno and form the Selangor state government is a betrayal not only to PKR and DAP but also to the people of Selangor who gave a clear mandate to PR in the 13th general election," Loke said in a statement today.

As such, Zuhdi's "analysis" was most irresponsible and has elements of breaking the people's trust, and such a leader should be severely criticised, the Seremban MP said.

"I would like to remind Zuhdi that the seats PAS had won in Selangor were under the PR umbrella as PAS, PKR and DAP contested in GE13 on a joint PR manifesto," he added.

What was more saddening, Loke said, was that the research centre, which was entrusted as a "think tank" for PAS, could use their "imagination" to "flick off" DAP, the church and non-Muslims over differing views.

Zuhdi also said that should DAP, the church and non-Muslims bring up issues concerning the usage of the word “Allah” and the seizure of Bibles by the state religious department, PAS-Umno would be able to frisk off their complaints.

"What has happened to the openness and tolerance in the slogan 'PAS for All'?" Loke asked.

He added that he had never imagined a PAS leader could also think like Umno in regaining the political powers of Malays through the redelineation of constituencies.

“Doesn’t such a proposal show as if they are in cahoots with the Election Commission and have no difference from Perkasa's agenda?"

"Dr Zuhdi's proposal and thoughts have smeared the positive image of PAS, which has been seen as a political party that fought for justice and held on fast to its principles," he said, adding that he was confident that the majority of PAS central leaders were not in agreement with Zuhdi.

Earlier, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramil called on PAS to take disciplinary action against Zuhdi and hit out at the latter for the racial and religious tone in the leaked message.

Rafizi also demanded that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang state the number of PAS leaders who held such views.

"What is the disciplinary action to be taken against Zuhdi, who has suggested a treacherous proposal, going against the agreement inked between PAS and Pakatan and the people who had voted for PAS and Pakatan?

"We want to know how many from the PAS central leadership hold such racist and anti-democratic views like Zuhdi," he said. – July 29, 2014.