WITH its rivals calling the party anti-Malay and anti-Islam incessantly, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang reminisced the time when the party backed PAS when then Barisan Nasional (BN) Government declared Emergency in Kelantan, back in 1977.
“I can still remember the long debate in Parliament into the wee hours of the morning, 44 years ago, when the BN Government abused its majority in Parliament to declare an Emergency in Kelantan and took over the state administration from PAS.
“At the time, nobody accused the DAP of being extremist, anti-Malay and anti-Islam when our lawmakers supported PAS MPs to oppose the declaration of Emergency on Nov 8, 1977,” he said, in a statement.
In 1977, then Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Mohamed Nasir faced revolt from his PAS colleagues, Subsequently, a vote of no confidence was tabled against him, with 20 PAS lawmakers voting in favour of removing him from office.
Fourteen BN lawmakers from UMNO and MCA walked out in protest against the move. Despite being voted out, Mohamed Nasir refused to resign and moved for the state assembly to be dissolved but it was shot down by the Kelantan Palace.
Mohamed Nasir’s supporters took the streets, which resulted in violence. As a result, the Agong declared an Emergency in the state.
PAS, then a member of BN, opposed the Emergency declaration. Soon after, the Islamist party was booted out from the coalition.
Muhyiddin, the man behind the Sheraton Move?
On related matter, Lim chided Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying he was not like his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pakatan Harapan, which did not fulfill its election pledges.
The Iskandar Puteri MP added that based on Muhyiddin’s recent statements, it looked like the main architect of the infamous Sheraton Move was the latter, not former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
“With that, I think we can understand why the promised institutional reforms were opposed from within, such as the arrest of elected representatives on trumped-up charges of having terrorist links with Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers and the sabotage for establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC),” Lim remarked. – Nov 14, 2021.
