Azizah: PKR won’t stop PAS from holding talks with anyone

By Wong Choon Mei

PKR is sticking by its stand that everyone has the democratic right to speech and discussion and PAS should not be treated any differently.

PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said her party would not bar PAS from holding talks with Umno or any party that it deems necessary.

However, the Islamic-based PAS would have to first explain its stand on this issue to other coalition partners PKR and DAP.

“Neither will we question their intentions to discuss with any parties on matter of national interest,” Azizah said in a statement.

“We will wait for a clarification from the PAS leadership regarding a unity government before making any comment on a unity government with Umno.”

Said PKR strategic affairs director Tian Chua: “To me, it is very much status-quo. The current PAS leadership will continue to stay close to Pakatan Rakyat. Only they are more cautious about changing PAS’s identity.”

Pakatan’s top council to meet soon

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has backed Azizah’s call for PAS to clarify the issue. According to Guan Eng, the Pakatan council will probably meet at the sidelines of Parliament, due to sit next week from June 15 to 30.

“What does PAS mean by unity government? They have to explain at the next top leadership council meeting,” Guan Eng told reporters.

During the PAS annual congress last week, Hadi had called for the establishment of a unity government as a way out of the political impasse in the country.

But his proposal did not go down well with DAP and PKR. Even within the PAS party itself, many leaders including spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat have publicly opposed collaboration with Umno.

Meanwhile, the heads of Umno Youth and Wanita - Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahrizat Jalil respectively - have welcomed Hadi’s proposal for unity talks.

“It would be a reflection of maturity and far-sightedness,” Khairy said in his blog. “If this leads to something more concrete, we hope that both sides will discuss again in future.”

Nevertheless, according to PKR, it is confident that Pakatan will hold up as all three partners have shown great commitment to the coalition’s common cause.

Said Azizah: “We hope that our partners PAS and DAP will also have the same commitment.”

Sumber : Suarakeadilan