BA leaders shocked by DAPs exit, question timing
Barisan Alternatif leaders, shocked by DAP's withdrawal from the opposition coalition today, said they could not fathom the party's purpose for doing so with the Sarawak state elections looming ahead.
PRM secretary-general Dr Sanusi Osman said he was saddened by the news but will respect the party's decision.
Sanusi said he was worried that the public perception about opposition parties will be affected since the Barisan Nasional-led government has always projected BA as just "a marriage of convenience".
He said he was puzzled why the decision had to be announced at this stage as it was only less than a week away from the Sarawak elections next Thursday.
"We are now giving bullets to the BN in the Sarawak elections," he told malaysiakini when contacted.
The dispute between DAP and PAS could have been resolved if there was more compromise from both parties and other allies in the BA were involved as well, he added.
DAP publicity secretary Ronnie Liu refuted this view, saying the impact on the state elections "is yet to be seen".
Liu said the decision made by the DAP central executive committee today would eventually have to be made public and therefore it "makes no difference to do it now or later". He denied that there was any specific motive in announcing it just before the elections.
Liu did not rule out the possibility that DAP may rejoin the BA and urge that an electoral pact be formed even if a reconciliation does not materialise.
"Everything changes every day, especially in politics," he said.
Thorny issue
The thorny Islamic state issue has long haunted the relationship between PAS and DAP, affecting the overall stability of the front. The constant bickering between the leaders from both parties amid ongoing meetings to resolve the matter has made the headlines in recent months.
Since the 1999 general elections, DAP has always claimed that it lost several significant parliamentary and state seats because its conventional Chinese supporters feared the setting up of an Islamic state and had therefore backed the BN instead.
DAP announced the decision to pull out from the BA this afternoon after a meeting with PAS earlier.
PAS was said to have rejected a five-point formula presented by DAP, which includes a requirement that the PAS governments of Kelantan and Terengganu consult the BA council prior to implementing new enactments and measures that could "impinge on the sensitivities of different religions, communities and political parties".
PAS central committee member Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli said he was "shocked" by DAP's decision but refused to comment on its possible repercussions on the Sarawak elections.
While AFP quoted PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar as saying that DAP should have consulted with other opposition leaders before deciding to severe ties.
PRM secretary-general Dr Sanusi Osman said he was saddened by the news but will respect the party's decision.
Sanusi said he was worried that the public perception about opposition parties will be affected since the Barisan Nasional-led government has always projected BA as just "a marriage of convenience".
He said he was puzzled why the decision had to be announced at this stage as it was only less than a week away from the Sarawak elections next Thursday.
"We are now giving bullets to the BN in the Sarawak elections," he told malaysiakini when contacted.
The dispute between DAP and PAS could have been resolved if there was more compromise from both parties and other allies in the BA were involved as well, he added.
DAP publicity secretary Ronnie Liu refuted this view, saying the impact on the state elections "is yet to be seen".
Liu said the decision made by the DAP central executive committee today would eventually have to be made public and therefore it "makes no difference to do it now or later". He denied that there was any specific motive in announcing it just before the elections.
Liu did not rule out the possibility that DAP may rejoin the BA and urge that an electoral pact be formed even if a reconciliation does not materialise.
"Everything changes every day, especially in politics," he said.
Thorny issue
The thorny Islamic state issue has long haunted the relationship between PAS and DAP, affecting the overall stability of the front. The constant bickering between the leaders from both parties amid ongoing meetings to resolve the matter has made the headlines in recent months.
Since the 1999 general elections, DAP has always claimed that it lost several significant parliamentary and state seats because its conventional Chinese supporters feared the setting up of an Islamic state and had therefore backed the BN instead.
DAP announced the decision to pull out from the BA this afternoon after a meeting with PAS earlier.
PAS was said to have rejected a five-point formula presented by DAP, which includes a requirement that the PAS governments of Kelantan and Terengganu consult the BA council prior to implementing new enactments and measures that could "impinge on the sensitivities of different religions, communities and political parties".
PAS central committee member Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli said he was "shocked" by DAP's decision but refused to comment on its possible repercussions on the Sarawak elections.
While AFP quoted PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar as saying that DAP should have consulted with other opposition leaders before deciding to severe ties.
"DAP's withdrawal is not a blow to the BA but just another political challenge. But we hope they will reconsider their decision," he said.
"Even if DAP pulls out, it should not prevent the opposition coalition from working with the party," he added.
Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said he does not foresee a weakening of the opposition force as result of the withdrawal.
"Every coalition has its ups and downs. DAP made it clear that its adversary was the BN and that means all opposition parties still have a common goal," said Chandra.
'Decision of the century'
Meanwhile, Bernama today reported that several BN leaders commended DAP for its "wise decision" to pull out of the BA.
MIC president S Samy Vellu was quoted as saying, "It's the best decision of the century made by DAP."
DAP Sarawak, known to be vocal against DAP's alliance with PAS, reportedly welcomed the decision as well.
The BA was set up in 1999 prior to the general elections as an alternative to the BN which has been in power since Independence in 1957.
Despite winning 44 percent of the popular vote, the opposition front failed to shatter the BN's two-thirds majority in Parliament and won 42 out of 193 seats: PAS (28), DAP (10) and Keadilan (5). The fourth member party PRM lost all the seats it contested.
