PAS leaders have been slammed for butting heads with DAP on local council elections by claiming it is not in Pakatan Rakyat’s common policy framework when that is not the case.
 
DAP Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali’s “chest beating” over the matter was unnecessary and that his claims were “inaccurate”.
 
“Mustafa’s claim is inaccurate, because the Pakatan common policy framework agreed upon by all three component parties very clearly contains the line that goes, ‘Strengthen local government democracy … in a democratic manner’,” Zairil said in a statement today.
 
“In this context, is not what the Penang government is doing (in attempting to revive local elections) in line with the policy?” asked Zairil, who is aide to the DAP national publicity head Tony Pua.
 
Mustafa and his chief Abdul Hadi Awang have been retaliating against DAP’s claim that the Islamic party’s unilateral push for hudud implementation in Kelantan goes against Pakatan’s common stand, by claiming DAP’s local elections move similarly is unilateral.
 
“As what has been clarified, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had called Mustafa and Hadi over the phone personally to discuss the issue (of local polls),” Zairil pointed out, repeating Lim’s claim that he had consulted both leaders before tabling the Penang enactment for local council elections in 2012.
 
Last Sunday Lim pointed out that Hadi and Mustafa were not being honest as the duo had not objected in 2012, adding PAS assemblypersons were present to pass the enactment at the state assembly.

‘Meet, not debate - and bring Hadi’
 
Zairil said it was pointless for Mustafa to challenge Lim to a debate on the issue, which he said was better resolved at Pakatan’s leadership council meeting.

Mustafa’s debate, he said, will not be of any use except to play to the profit of Pakatan’s enemies.
 
“Similarly, it is not of any use bringing up May 13 in this matter as what Hadi had done,” he added, saying the demographics and socio-economic conditions are no longer the same as in 1969 when the riots broke out.
 
Mustafa, he said, should instead discuss his point of view at Pakatan’s meeting.
 
“And at the same time, it would be very good if Mustafa can persuade his party president to attend the said meeting so that an end can be brought to this ongoing problem,” he said.
 
DAP has been pushing for Hadi to show up at Pakatan’s leadership meetings, of which the latter had not been attending.
 
However when asked by the media last November, Hadi was adamant saying he would attend when he felt the need.
 
“I don't need to be asked, If I want to attend, I will attend," was his curt reply at the time.