GEORGE TOWN: After a bitter break-up between DAP and PAS over hudud two years ago, Lim Kit Siang today said he was willing to join hands with Abdul Hadi Awang.
Lim, who is DAP’s parliamentary opposition leader, said they could work together again if PAS president Hadi was ready to commit to saving Malaysia from becoming a global kleptocracy.
“…If the PAS president, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang is prepared to conclude a solemn agreement that the top priority in the 14th General Election is to save Malaysia from becoming a global kleptocracy and a failed and rogue state, I am prepared to cooperate with him.
“That will be the national agenda for the next five to 10 years. Is Hadi prepared to make such a commitment?” Lim said today during a visit to Bukit Gelugor, Penang.
PAS ended ties with Lim’s party after DAP repeatedly attacked Hadi’s ambition to implement an Islamic Penal Code in Kelantan in 2015. The break-up ended the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
PKR and DAP later formed Pakatan Harapan, a new coalition with Amanah, a new party formed by former PAS progressive leaders.
Pakatan Harapan is now working with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to fight BN.
Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, said he could work with Mahathir even though they could continue to disagree on many political questions.
“…Yet (we) can come together on the larger agenda of rescuing Malaysia from becoming a global kleptocracy and a failed rogue state,” he said.
Last night in Ampang, Mahathir reportedly said the time was up for PAS to decide on whether to form an electoral pact with the opposition.
The PPBM chairman said the call had to be made soon, as PPBM would make its decision at its supreme council meeting.
He said if possible, they wanted all five opposition parties together in a single coalition.
“But sadly, PAS has a stance which has made it difficult in the unification process,” he said, adding that PAS had previously insisted that it will never cooperate with the DAP and Amanah.
Mahathir also explained that PPBM had previously attempted to convince PAS to join the opposition coalition, but dialogues with the Islamist party had so far involved “slightly lower level of the PAS leadership”, without Hadi taking part in the talks.