DAP has shot back at PAS for claiming that it was not consulted on the local government elections which it is eyeing for Penang.

National organising secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook took exception to this claim reportedly made by PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali.

“It is unfair to DAP for PAS to attack us, saying there was no consultation. The allegation is not true at all,” he said in a statement today.

Loke said he had confirmed with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng that the latter did contact PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Mustafa (right) via phone to ask for PAS views and both had no objections.

He also queried why was PAS only now bringing up objections to local government elections, hinting that this was an effort to divert attention from the controversial issue of hudud implementation that PAS is promoting.

Meanwhile, Loke added when the state assembly decided on May 9, 2012, to approve the local election enactment, there were no objections from the assemblypersons which included a representative from PAS.

“One fact that I have to stress here is that PAS has a representative in the state assembly which is Permatang Pasir assemblyperson Mohd Salleh Man.

“General records state that none of the assemblypersons objected the motion except for the 11 BN assemblypersons, who during voting time were not at the sitting. Definitely, no PAS representative objected the motion being tabled,” Loke explained.

The DAP-led Penang government has been eyeing holding local elections since winning the state in the 12th general election in 2008.

However various factions including the federal government had objected, condemning the move as against national policy.

Yesterday, Mustafa lashed out DAP for admitting that it was trying to push for a local government election in Penang. He said it was not part of Pakatan’s common policy.

He pointed out the DAP’s opposition to hudud implementation was also based on the grounds that it was not part of Pakatan’s common policy.