Pakatan Rakyat (人民联盟)
PETALING JAYA: The leaders of PKR, DAP and PAS have proposed to consolidate their cooperation by forming Pakatan Rakyat. PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Pakatan Rakyat, to be led collectively by the three parties, would uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians.
A loose coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS won control of five states – Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan – in the March 8 general election. The parties also won 82 of the 222 parliamentary seats at stake. “We will work towards common principles such as justice, good governance, human rights, accountability and transparency.
“The state governments of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor will also be known as Pakatan Rakyat state governments,” Anwar told a press conference after meeting DAP and PAS leaders yesterday. Also present at the press conference were DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
Anwar said the policies of the state governments would be in line with the policies of Pakatan Rakyat and that a joint secretariat would be tasked with building the foundation and framework of the coalition. “I believe this is something that is going to be there, not only for political expedience but for the medium and long-term,” Anwar said.
He added that a convention for all Pakatan Rakyat MPs and state assemblymen would be held on April 27 and that the name Pakatan Rakyat was still awaiting confirmation by the respective parties. When asked how the different ideologies of PAS and DAP would work for the coalition, Anwar said he did not see any difficulty.
Anwar and Abdul Hadi, however, were pressed on the significance of PAS wanting to form an Islamic state to which they both replied that it was an issue that should not be made contentious anymore. “It was not mentioned in the PAS manifesto and has not been mentioned for a long time. It is no longer an issue,” Anwar said.
Abdul Hadi said that the issue should not be raised just to create trouble and that the truth was that Islam as a religion supported basic principles such as fighting corruption and creating good governance. When asked who would lead the coalition, Anwar said no one person or party would have a greater standing and that it was the rakyat who would be the dominant party.
“The agenda is clear. Whoever is the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister, it makes no difference as they are tied to policies determined by the Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.
Source: The Star