Lim evasive whether DAP would quit Pakatan over hudud

GEORGE TOWN: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was evasive when asked whether the party would leave Pakatan Harapan if its partners supported the Private Member’s Bill tabled by PAS.

“Let’s not go into that, as we are diverting from the real issue here, which is how could the Bill be tabled with the consent of Umno and without the knowledge of Barisan Nasional’s component parties.

“Why are we being made the scapegoat by MCA and Gerakan when they should be asking Umno why it was supporting the Bill,” Lim told newsmen after opening the Asia Comic Cultural Museum centre at Komtar here yesterday.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said the Bill could not have been tabled without the support of the Government, and that while the Prime Minister had claimed the Bill was not about hudud, PAS, so far, had said otherwise.

“Will some of Barisan’s component parties keep to their promise of leaving the coalition if the Bill goes through?” he asked.

He said Umno had not given its partners their due respect when the Bill was expedited in Parliament on Thursday without their knowledge.

The Private Member’s Bill was tabled by PAS president and Marang MP Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Veteran DAP leader and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang, who was also present, alleged that the Prime Minister decided to expedite the Bill after the recent election victory in Sarawak.

“This clearly shows that the Government had a hand in tabling the Bill.

“Despite the hue and cry, it could be seen that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman arbitrarily raised the motion to have PAS’ hudud amendment Bill expedited.

“There are 14 non-Umno ministers in the Cabinet who are mere ornaments, as the fact remains that they could not prevent the Bill from being tabled,” he added.