Sarawak PKR must walk the talk, cut ties with PAS

No point for Sarawak PKR to maintain ties with PAS which has hudud as its primary objective but yet tell Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) to not push for it, said Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian had recently called for the newly formed GHB, which is in the process of applying for registration as a political party, not to follow the path of PAS. He had said it should not press for hudud and acknowledge that Malaysia is a secular nation.
 
However Chong, in a statement today, declared it was long overdue for Sarawak PKR to decide to sever its ties with Sarawak PAS because of the latter’s hudud agenda and the leadership of its president, Abdul Hadi Awang.
 
The Bandar Kuching MP said Hadi (photo) had made it clear that hudud is the main agenda of PAS. As the current leadership of Sarawak PAS is aligned to Hadi, it's thus also for hudud.
 
“When many progressive PAS members and leaders are losing hope on Hadi’s leadership and trying to form a new party, it is incomprehensible that Sarawak PKR is still clinging to Sarawak PAS.

"Is it mere indecisiveness or the lack of power on the part of Sarawak PKR to make a decision?” he queried.
 
“It has always been said by our late Chairman Karpal Singh, ‘there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, but permanent principles’.

"The fundamental and permanent principle in this matter is that Malaysia is a secular state and that hudud law shall not be implemented in Malaysia.”
 
Chong added if one were to truly believe in secularism in Malaysia, then given the current position of PAS under Hadi, it is impossible to work with PAS. 

“Although Baru Bian (photo) may have spoken against hudud, however, PKR’s continued association with PAS with PAS speaks otherwise.

“Come elections, will PKR help PAS to campaign, knowing that PAS under Hadi’s leadership will continue to pursue its hudud agenda and that the more elected representatives it has, the stronger will its push for the implementation of hudud in Malaysia? 
 
“If the answer is “yes”, then PKR will be compromising our secularism, if the answer is “no”, then why the continued association?"
 
He held that PKR is maintaining a relationship with the current conservative PAS while hoping to work with GHB when it gets off the ground, is a very opportunistic approach to politics. 

“Ultimately, you can’t have the cake and eat it too,” he asserted.-Malaysiakini