(Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP for Bagan, Lim Guan Eng, In Petaling Jaya On 9.2.2009)
DAP’s commitment towards a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia is not only an article of faith but a deep conviction in Bangsa Malaysia. DAP is inclusive of all races and religions. We represent the interests and fight for the rights every Malaysian.
In the effort of being representative of all Malaysians, including both Malays and non-Malays, the party is willing to undertake a transformational process that may be painful but necessary. We have no alternative but to grow without compromising our basic principles.
DAP reaffirms support for Pakatan Rakyat(PR) to establish an alternative government that is democratic, people-centric and with an ethical leadership based on the 5 principles of freedom, justice, truth, social welfare and universal moral values. In this regard the DAP supports PKR de facto leader DSAI Anwar Ibrahim as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader and will remain so as no single leader has ever questioned this during internal meetings whether at the highest levels or otherwise.
The Pakatan Rakyat leadership has clearly endorsed a position that no individual party policy can be PR policy unless it is fully approved unanimously by all three parties. DAP’s position on hudud and Islamic state is crystal clear and regardless of whatever support for both hudud and the establishment of an Islamic State, whether from PAS or PKR, this will not be PR policy as long as DAP does not agree to it.
Similarly DAP’s leadership has been consistently urging the government to enact an anti-hopping law even before the Perak crisis, and we have expressed support of our 28 MPs. As BN does not have a 2/3 parliamentary majority, the support of DAP’s 28 MPs will be required to effect any constitutional amendment for such an anti-hopping law.
As a democratic party, DAP policies can be changed in accordance with the wishes of its members. However until today there has been no request to question or disturb the basic framework of co-operation between the 3 parties of DAP, PAS and PKR that make up PR.
As the party secretary-general, I am duty-bound to execute these policies. However should any member wishes to change them, they are required to use proper party channels to do so and not use the BN-controlled media. I appeal to Sdr Karpal Singh as Chair of the DAP to use internal party channels should he wish to change these policies or even criticise my leadership.
#1 by Loh on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 11:15 am
///Similarly DAP’s leadership has been consistently urging the government to enact an anti-hopping law even before the Perak crisis, and we have expressed support of our 28 MPs. As BN does not have a 2/3 parliamentary majority, the support of DAP’s 28 MPs will be required to effect any constitutional amendment for such an anti-hopping law./// -Kit
Yes, until the law is there to stop hopping, everyone is entitled to play the hopping game. Whether Anwar started the threat of September 16 or not, BN would do its best to poach PK ADUNs. It might be true that if not for Anwar’s threat, the change in Perak might have taken place earlier. Those who were ready to sell themselves might be hesitating, initially.
The way Perak changed it government might be a precedent for change at the federal level. The wording of the federal constitution in dealing with non-confidence of PM is similar to that of the Perak’s constitution. So, when PM AAB resigns, the King is free to appoint whoever he thinks fit and who would command the support of the majority of the house as PM. Here, who he thinks fit is important, and Malays would accept the decision of Agong just like they accepted the decision of Sultan. The constitution did not specify the qualification of the candidate for PM. The Perak’s numerical basis for BN included independent ADUNS. Obviously, there are UMNO MPs who are not the powers-that-be in UMNO but who command a wider support among the MPs in the house. Thus, Agong is now presented an opportunity to decide who he wants as he PM, come March 2009. The president of UMNO is qualified, but he might not be the best. Since the decision of Agong will not be challenged, like that of Perak, it is hoped that he would pick a person from UMNO who would command a wider support as PM from among the opposition MPs. The government then would not be required to be burdened with clarifying who in fact killed Atlantuya, when the new PM has no perceived link to the matter. That would be an excellent chance for reform in UMNO.
Let us hope that the crisis in Perak brings about an opportunity for change. Agong should be inspired by the action taken by the Sultan of Perak. The people would have a chance to practice double standards and praise Agong for the action.
#2 by One4All4One on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 12:02 pm
One cannot be faulted for suspecting that “chengho” is a troll.
We should all just ignore him.
#3 by suaramamak on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 12:14 pm
now you wish to stop party hopping, 916 then you wanted others to hop to PR? you politicians are hipocrites, PR are no different from BN, satu hari cakap ini, next day cakap itu. waste of time to vote for you. your people untrustable just like BN. waste of the people’s vote. DAP, PKR, PAS must all be responsible for the lost of the perak state govt to BN. you did not ensure and safe guard your people from BN influence and threats. you have failed! might as well for the poeple to go back to their daily life and work our own way out of our misery. PR has not shown any signs of improving our lifes! do not give me nonsense of you need time, you dont have time, the people expects immediate results. PR cannot even safe guard their hold on a state govt, how you expect us to have confidence in you???? best waste our vote, no need to vote, both camps PR & BN are useless!
#4 by Onlooker Politics on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 1:08 pm
“So back to racist as usual politics??
Are you suggesting the Chinese could hope to go it alone??” (undergrad2)
undergrad2,
Most Malaysians of Non-Malay origins know very well that they cannot become the Prime Minister of Malaysia or the Menteri Besar of any state with a Sultan in Malaysia, even though they may be an Islamic convert or a Moslem. They are born to be discriminated according to their racial origins by the Constitutions in Malaysia. You cannot label a person as racist when he has to identify himself by the racial line in order to better explain his civil rights position that have been given by the constitutions and the limitations of the civil rights being imposed by the constitutions.
Even though the Malaysians of Non-Malay origins have no hope to become a Prime Minister or a Menteri Besar, that does not mean that they have no hope to contribute to the overall betterment of all Malaysians. If there is certain loophole in our constitutions which serves adamant injustice to majority of the people, then effort must be put into the judicial review endeavour in order to set a precedent court case for purpose of levelling the injustice. Even though the Malaysians are not able to change the state constitution in order to discipline the state ruler (since all constitutional amendment requires the approving signature from the state ruler in order to become law and the state ruler will not sign a constitutional amendment which is unfavourable to His Royal Highness himself), other viable channels like submitting the constitutional crisis to the high court for judicial review can and must be attempted.
When the judicial review is able to undo the injustice caused by an unconsulted decision that has been made by the state ruler, it will bring about the overall betterment to majority of the Malaysian people. Not only Non-Malay people will be able to enjoy the betterment, but the Malay people will also be able to enjoy a much more balanced human rights when confronting the powerful state ruler. Therefore, the subject of a state are no longer required to continue living in the unjustifiable fear from the possible brutal attack by the state ruler, such as the event happened in Johor in early 1990s.
In short, Pakatan Rakyat should agree with Mr Karpal to take the Perak Sultan to court in order to seek a judicial review on the Sultan’s decision to dismiss Nizar from the post of Menteri Besar.
#5 by k1980 on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 1:17 pm
PR must now concentrate on winning the 2 upcoming by-elections in Bkt Selambau and Bukit Gantang. These 2 victories will prove to the world that Bijan is a born and sore loser. His 4 election losses in a row will cause umno warlords to force him to step down, the way they did to Dollah, possibly in Dec 2009.
#6 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 - 5:58 pm
“In short, Pakatan Rakyat should agree with Mr Karpal to take the Perak Sultan to court in order to seek a judicial review on the Sultan’s decision to dismiss Nizar from the post of Menteri Besar.”Onlooker
What judicial review are you talking about??
In the first place the courts will have to decide if even a judicial review of the Sultan’s use of his discretion is even legally possible.