Malaysia opposition patches up alliance

Malaysia opposition patches up alliance PDF Print E-mail
Posted by Super Admin
Thursday, 13 March 2008

MALAYSIA'S Chinese-based opposition party said on Thursday it will attend a ceremony after all to swear in a state government led by a hardline Islamist party allied to it in last weekend's elections.

DAP advisor and the opposition leader in the last parliament, Lim Kit Siang, said late on Wednesday the party had decided to boycott the ceremony after the Sultan of Perak, titular ruler of the state, named Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) as chief minister.

The appointment of Mohammad Nizar, 'has caused shock and consternation to DAP leaders, members and supporters", he said, since the DAP and a third party in the opposition alliance, People's Justice, had tallied more votes than PAS.

Mr Lim, however, issued a statement on Thursday, apologising to the sultan 'for any offence caused' and saying the party's position had changed.

Ngeh Koo Ham, DAP chairman for Perak deputy chief minister-designate for the state, said, it was all a 'little misunderstanding", noting that Perak's constitution requires a Muslim to be chief minister.

'Our party stand was that the DAP, having the most number of state seats should head the Perak coalition,' Mr Ngeh said.

'But we have to face reality, seeing the constitutional provision only allows for a Malay and a Muslim to be given preference, unless the sultan changes that. We have to accept the situation.' He said the squabble would not hurt his relationship with PAS.

'We sat down last night and he (Nizar Mohammad) has given his undertaking that all policy decisions before he implements them will have to go past the executive councillors (state cabinet). We will make up the majority of the executive councillors. So he cannot go along with policies without our approval.'

Most multi-racial

The secular DAP has long been deeply suspicious about PAS, which advocates sharia, or Islamic law, for Muslims and Islamic punishments such as stoning and amputations, though it downplayed that agenda in the election that saw dramatic gains for the opposition.

The three-party opposition alliance was pulled together by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, whose People's Justice is now the largest opposition party in parliament with 31 seats.

It is also the most multi-racial in Malaysia's largely race-based political party system with 20 Malay, seven Chinese, and four Indian MPs in its line-up, a proportion that basically mirrors the population breakdown.

Prime Minister Abduallah Ahmad Badawi's Malay-dominated National Front coalition lost the ironclad two-thirds majority in parliament it had held for nearly 40 years, and an unprecedented five states fell under opposition control in the elections that have been dubbed a 'political tsunami'.

Chinese and Indians, accounting for a third of the population, voted in droves against Mr Abdullah's coalition, venting anger over the handouts for 'Bumiputras' (sons of the soil) and perceptions their religious freedoms were being squeezed.

The opposition alliance also won control of state governments in Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan. PAS has formed a single party government in Kelantan, while DAP leads Penang.

Mr Abdullah on Wednesday warned the opposition against provoking racial tensions after it announced plans to undo a controversial affirmative-action programme.

The opposition alliance has said it would dismantle the New Economic Policy (NEP) giving majority Malays preference - for jobs, housing, government contracts, educational opportunities, stocks - saying it breeds cronyism and corruption.

'The state government must not try to create an atmosphere which can cause racial tensions,' national news agency Bernama quoted Mr Abdullah as saying. 'Do not marginalise the Malays.' -- REUTERS