By Shannon Teoh
ALOR SETAR, July 4 — DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang will not allow the party’s Kedah leaders to pass the buck to the national leadership over the on-going spat with the PAS-led state government that came out in the open when an illegal pig abattoir was demolished.
Kedah DAP had decided to pull out of the state government on Wednesday and asked the central leadership to endorse the decision.
But disclosing that DAP's central leadership would only meet at a later date, Lim insisted that Kedah DAP find a way to overcome their disagreements with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak.
This comes after the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Presidential Council, made up of its top leadership, had failed to schedule a meeting following a series of controversies including the split in Kedah, disagreements between DAP and PKR in Penang as well as PAS’s continued flirtation with Umno despite last week shooting down the idea of a unity government.
With top leaders also having clashing schedules, the electoral pact look set to begin its campaign for the Manek Urai by-elections without having resolved these problems.
Speaking to reporters after a 90-minute meeting with Kedah DAP leaders, the party’s parliamentary leader said he understood the reasons for their unanimous decision to quit the coalition government after the state’s only pig abattoir was demolished on Wednesday.
“But it is important that this matter is resolved at the state PR level,” Lim stated, adding that the current crisis was impeding progress for the fledgling alliance at the national level.
“At first I was shocked and disagreed with the decision but after listening to them, I can understand why they did what they did. The situation is serious, otherwise, they would not have resorted to pulling out,” the Ipoh Timur MP said.
Lim was referring to what Kedah DAP has claimed to be a longstanding difficulty in working with Azizan. Their sole assemblyman in the state, Lee Guan Aik had earlier told The Malaysian Insider that despite a larger Muslim population, the Kelantan PAS-led government was more considerate of non-Muslims than its Kedah counterpart.
He cited disagreements over other matters concerning the sale of pork, as well as issues concerning religious buildings and the 50 per cent housing quota for Bumiputeras that was proposed in Kedah.
However, Lim will not leave Kedah DAP high and dry as he plans to meet MB Azizan as soon as possible.
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