KUALA LUMPUR: Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan today said DAP's Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang should focus on his own coalition matters instead of meddling in other people's affairs.
In a statement today, Takiyuddin said the DAP advisor should tell its partner in the government, namely Umno, to change its president instead, as he claimed that the veteran Malay-nationalist party's support had depleted due to its leadership being plagued with criminal cases.
"Pas believes that if Lim feels entitled to question leadership changes in parties other than DAP, it would be more appropriate and beneficial if he advised his government ally, especially Umno, which is clearly losing support among its members, let alone the general public.
"This situation should be more concerning for Lim, especially when the leadership of Umno is entangled in major criminal cases opposed by DAP not long ago.
"Certainly, DAP cannot wash its hands, remain silent, or claim not to be involved in the developments related to these circumstances and collusion," he said.
The statement came after the DAP stalwart issued a statement that Terengganu Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri, who just won the Kemaman parliamentary by-election, should replace Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang as the president of Pas, to make the party more moderate.
Takiyuddin then defended his president, saying that Pas is currently at its peak in performance as a political party under the leadership of Abdul Hadi, citing the party's biggest number of seats in the Lower House.
The Kota Baru federal lawmaker said Lim is not the right person to talk about moderation as he claimed that the DAP leader had a history of becoming the purveyor of racist and chauvinist politics.
"Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang is not the most qualified person to speak about moderation and openness, both due to his past as a politician and his current position as an advisor to a party still thick with racial rhetoric and chauvinism," he added.
He also reiterated that the current ruling coalition is losing support from all over the country after a series of by-elections concluded.
"Therefore, it would be more beneficial if Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang focused on the internal issues within PH-BN itself, as well as the issues of loss of support and popularity experienced by the government, instead of engaging in petty, hypocritical, hyperbolic, and speculative politics that will not help create a better, honest, and democratic society and country," he said.
