(The headline for the Malaysian Insider “No let-up as Kit Siang continues attacks against PAS ahead of Kedah trip” is not correct, as it is not reflected in the contents of its report.
It implied that I was continuing to “attack” the Pakatan Rakyat government in Kedah. This is not the case.
It further implied that I had attacked the PR Kedah state government yesterday. This was also not the case.
Pakatan Rakyat is facing a second crisis of confidence and efforts must be made to resolve it.
This is why I am not only meeting the Kedah State DAP tomorrow but also have a dialogue with the people of Kedah in Alor Star tomorrow night. (New Straits Times today had wrongly reported that I would be meeting residents in the abbatoir area when I said I would be having a people’s dialogue in Alor Star).
Both the Malaysian Insider and New Straits Times report are reproduced below.) No let-up as Kit Siang continues attacks against PAS ahead of Kedah trip By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
PETALING JAYA, July 3 — In deflecting suggestions that a trivial issue led to the DAP pulling out of the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government, Lim Kit Siang fell back on a cliche, and argued that the pigs were just “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
In a shocking announcement, Kedah DAP announced on Wednesday its decision to pull out of the state government after local authorities demolished the state’s only pig abattoir.
But Lim said today that the abattoir was not the sole reason for the state DAP’s decision. He pointed out that the abattoir issue was symptomatic of the PAS-led state government’s failure to perform and take into account the views of the public.
“Personally, I think the issue in Kedah is not about pigs but the people. It is not about the abattoir even.
“The reason for what happened Kedah is that Kedah DAP felt many issues concerning the people of Kedah were not taken account by the state government. The issue of the abattoir was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he told reporters at DAP headquarters here today. Lim will be heading to Kedah tomorrow to meet with his party members. The DAP veteran also plans to meet with the grassroots and gauge public sentiment on the issue.
PR’s crisis in Kedah is just the latest problem to hit the alliance of DAP, PAS and PKR. PAS is also continuing its flirtation with Umno, and has proposed talks between the Youth wings of the two Malay-Muslim parties.
Such developments have led to an escalation of efforts to quickly bring together the three parties in a more permanent structure akin to the formal coalition of the rival Barisan Nasional (BN).
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Another PR “crisis of confidence” By : Joseph Sipalan
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said the Kedah DAP’s determination to quit the state government spelled a “crisis of confidence” in Pakatan Rakyat. He described his party’s latest dispute with Pas as the alliance’s
second such crisis coming after senior leaders in the Islamist party proposed unity talks with Umno.
Lim, the member of parliament for Ipoh Timur, said he was “shocked” by the Kedah DAP’s decision to pull out of the state Pakatan over the razing of an illegal pig abattoir in Alor Star.
He said it was still too early to come to any conclusions as he had not been briefed on the complaint by state DAP chairman Thomas Su Keong Siong.
Su, however, said yesterday that an official letter had been faxed to party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng confirming the state DAP committee’s decision to leave the Pas-led state government.
He said he expected the party central executive committee to meet on the matter soon.
“We have to wait for the report, though I must admit there is considerable frustration that their (DAP Kedah’s) views are not taken seriously.
“Undoubtedly, this will not be taken lightly. We view this situation with grave seriousness,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.
Lim said he would go to Alor Star tomorrow to meet the state DAP and residents in the abattoir area for their views.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the dispute could be resolved within Pakatan.
“We will consider their (Kedah DAP’s) grouses, but I will also talk to the menteri besar,” he said at the Parliament lobby.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak gave no indication yesterday that he would back down from his stand on the abattoir.