DAP national leaders today said they have to uphold the party's principles against PAS' Islamic state agenda even though actions taken in line with this principle would cost it some support from its own members.

Party secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock said the continued participation of DAP leaders in the PAS-led governments in Terengganu and Kelantan would cause the party problems since it is a fundamental principle of the party to oppose attempts by any party to set up an Islamic state.

"The most important thing is our principle. We cannot compromise on this. Voter support still remains secondary to our principles. I believe that the majority of voters would expect the Terengganu leaders to leave their PAS posts," he said when contacted today.

Yesterday, 15 Terengganu state leaders announced their decision to quit the party together after rejecting a directive from the DAP central executive committee (CEC) for them to resign from their PAS posts.

Incompatible objectives

The secretary-general said the Terengganu leaders had asked to be allowed to retain their posts to represent the interests of the Chinese community in the state. They had also asked for the CEC to view their situation differently from other states since locals held a different perception of PAS compared to people in other states.

However, Kerk said the party could not bend its rules to allow the branch leaders to be part of a government whose policies were in direct contradiction with DAP's position.

"Being part of the government should not be the main objective. We can only form a government on our own terms or in a coalition with which we have compatible aims," he said.

Kerk's views were shared by DAP deputy chairperson Karpal Singh who said that association with PAS could no longer be supported because of PAS' decision to release its Islamic state document.

"The recent release by PAS of its draconian blueprint of an Islamic state has made DAP's relationship with it so untenable. Any association with PAS even through appointment of DAP members in their personal capacities, require an immediate directive that such appointments be vacated," he said in a statement today.

Karpal said the party had to choose principles against all other considerations.

Action too late

Despite the confident views of the two national leaders, several party insiders have expressed dissatisfaction with the CEC's handling of the issue.

One party source who declined to be named said he was disappointed with the uncompromising position taken by the national leadership.

"These leaders were appointed to their posts after the 1999 general election when DAP was still a part of the Barisan Alternatif. When DAP left BA in 2001, action should have been taken on this matter and not now.

"The Terengganu leaders have become used to the positions and the association (with PAS) is already there. This action may already be too late," the source said.

Another party insider felt that the latest development has cast a negative light on DAP since the party appeared to have made its directive in response to criticism from the MCA.

"DAP looks as though it is dancing to the tune of the MCA. When MCA made an issue of DAP's membership in the BA, we left the coalition. Now, because they make a fuss about our members being councillors with the PAS government, we respond accordingly."

"But nothing has changed. MCA is still attacking us now. They are saying now that the action is too late," said the source.

The close cooperation between PAS and the (recently resigned) DAP Terengganu state leaders was highlighted recently when the media reported on a speech given by outspoken DAP state assemblyperson for Bandar Klang Teng Chang Khim at a PAS ceramah in Terengganu.

Teng was invited to speak at the event by PAS leaders and he had called for the people to eschew Umno.

This was later picked up by MCA politicians who said that Teng's remarks showed that DAP was still working closely with PAS despite attempts by DAP to distant itself from the Islamic party.