Penang PAS reps must resign now, Guan Eng says after muktamar decision

DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng says after PAS severs ties with its Pakatan ally, its state reps must resign. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, June 6, 2015.

PAS representatives in the Penang government must tender their resignations following the Islamist party's decision to sever ties with DAP, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

He said PAS assemblymen have "no choice but to resign" following the decision taken at the ongoing PAS muktamar or annual congress to accept a motion by its Dewan Ulama to stop working with DAP, while still remaining in Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

The motion was adopted by the congress without debate.

"PAS representatives have no choice but to resign from the Penang government and its agencies as well as municipal councillors and Village Development & Security Committees (JKKKs).

"While I enjoy friendly and good working relations with many PAS representatives, I understand they will have to resign for ethical and moral reasons.

"It will be politically untenable for them to remain in the Penang government led by me in my capacity as DAP secretary-general, when PAS muktamar has severed relations with DAP," Lim said in a statement today.

Lim said he would leave it to PAS to figure out its seemingly contradictory stand of wanting to sever ties with DAP, yet remain in the opposition pact.

"The stability, continuity and credibility of the PR Penang state government will not be affected by the absence of PAS representatives in government.

"Both DAP and PKR will still enjoy its 2/3 majority. With the present 30 out of 40 Penang state assembly seats, without the single PAS (assemblyman), PR Penang will still have 29 seats and a comfortable 2/3 majority," Lim said.

PAS's Dewan Ulama or clerics' wing passed a motion for the Islamist party to cut ties with DAP at its annual congress yesterday.

The motion was also adopted – without debate – by the larger PAS body at its ongoing congress today, and some delegates this morning reacted angrily at being bypassed.

The clerics' decision is seen a tit-for-tat in response to DAP's move to sever ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang earlier this year over his leadership and insistence on hudud, while otherwise maintaining ties with PAS.

In its ongoing muktamar, PAS saw its ulama and conservative faction make a sweep of almost all top leadership posts, alienating other "progressive" leaders keen on maintaining strong cooperation with PR and increasing non-Muslim support.

- TMI