PETALING JAYA: Two Pakatan Harapan MPs said BN attacks on DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang of “controlling” all decisions made by the opposition bloc were merely tactics by BN in the light of speculation of an early 14th general election.
DAP national vice-chairman Teresa Kok said the accusations against the DAP veteran were nonsensical and she questioned how Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had come to the conclusion.
“Ismail Sabri is not in Pakatan, how does he know the operations inside?
“I believe this kind of ‘old’ statement will work on certain Umno diehards but it will have no effect on Malays in general,” she told FMT in a text message.
Yesterday, Ismail told reporters at a press conference in his Bera constituency that all decisions made by Pakatan MPs, including Muslim parliamentarians, were controlled by Lim.
“Everything is ‘remote controlled’ by Lim Kit Siang.
“The public should be aware that if the opposition controls the government, everything will be controlled by Lim and the rest will be his puppets,” he was reported as saying.
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad also came to Lim’s defence, saying Ismail’s allegations were intended to create fear in rural people.
“We have four different parties under Pakatan and each of us has different views on general issues,” he told FMT.
Khalid cited the example of the Selangor government, which is led by PKR.
“To say the menteri besar is taking ‘instructions’ from DAP is rubbish.”
He added “it is impossible to say the other three parties are following DAP’s views in Pakatan such as on the bill to amend Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, or Act 355”.
Khalid, who is also Amanah communications director, said the party was agreeable to empowering shariah courts but the weaknesses in PAS’ private member’s bill needed to be rectified.
However, he added, DAP was firmly against the proposed amendments, stating they were unconstitutional.