DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today said that Kedah DAP was withdrawing its support for the PAS-led state government due to a breakdown of trust between the parties in the state.

"Pulling out of Pakatan Rakyat is a serious matter with large adverse national ramifications.

penang kg buah pala 010709 guan eng respond to villagers "For Kedah DAP to do so from the Kedah state government signals the complete lack of communication and respect from the Kedah PAS-led government," he said in a statement today.

"Kedah DAP had never sought any titles or Datukships but had been unhappy with the lack of respect accorded by PAS to DAP in Kedah unlike the respect accorded to PAS in Penang," he said.

Lim however stressed that the decision made by the Kedah DAP was not final as it has to be endorsed by the party's central executive committee first.

However no date has been fixed for the CEC to meet to discuss the matter, he said.

"Only after receiving the official letter confirming the Kedah state committee decision, would I call a CEC to make a final decision on the matter," said the Penang Chief Minister.

Yesterday Kedah DAP chief Thomas Su said that the state committee was pulling out of the state Pakatan coalition.

The surprise announcement was caused by the failure of the PAS-led government in not giving equal treatment to all Kedahans, he claimed.

kedah pig abattoir demolished The two major sore points for the drastic decision was the demolition of an illegal pig slaughterhouse at Kampung Berjaya and imposition of 50 percent bumiputera housing quota in the state.

Lim said that he was informed by Su of the decision yesterday.

"I would normally oppose such moves personally especially when based on a single issue and if there is still room to redress and correct the situation.

"However, the desperate nature of the situation and the breakdown of trust between Kedah DAP and the Kedah PAS Menteri Besar warrants a CEC meeting to endorse or oppose this withdrawal," he said.

He added that all implications will be reviewed and studied in the final decision.

Pakatan's secretariat is also expected to meet later today to discuss this matter.

DAP has one state seat in Kedah, while PAS has 16 and PKR, 5.

Better not be a political show

Meanwhile, in another development, Kedah Gerakan chief Dr Cheah Soon Hai said he hoped the pullout was not a "political show to camouflage DAP's failure to protect the interest of the people".

Cheah, who is also Derga assemblyperson, urged Kedah DAP to stand firm on its decision since the party had said it could no longer work with other Pakatan elected representatives.

Cheah also rapped DAP and PKR councillors in the Alor Star City Council for failing to stop the demolition of the illegal abattoir in Jalan Putra.

kedah pig abattoir demolished 010709 02 "I was informed that DAP and PKR councillors had walked out of a meeting to discuss the demolition issue. The councillors should have asked for a vote count amongst councillors instead of leaving the decision to demolish to PAS councillors who were present," he said in a statement.

He also said that the Local Government Act allowed any ‘disputable" decision by a municipal council to be referred to the state government for arbitration.

"This process would have caused a delay in the demolition of the abattoir," he pointed out.

He said the DAP and PKR councillors did not know their basic rights as councillors and had also not done their homework to tackle the demolition issue and other issues concerning ratepayers.

The abattoir was to be demolished last month but it was halted following the intervention of DAP state representative Lee Guan Aik.

Before yesterday's demolition, Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak said that he had no power to stop the action by the municipal council.