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All
BA members equal partners: Wan Azizah
7.45pm,
MON: Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan
Ismail today urged Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalition members to cease
politicking through the media, stressing that all parties within BA were
equal partners.
She
said in spite of the recent DAP-Keadilan squable, Keadilan regards
consensus in decision-making as a basic feature of the BA structure.
"The
parties within BA are equal partners and should be given full say on
important matters," said Wan Azizah in a media statement from Lunas.
"Politicking
regarding BA internal issues through the media should cease," she
said, referring to the wrangle between DAP and Keadilan over the BA
candidate for the Lunas state seat.
DAP
was unhappy with Keadilan's choice of Saifuddin Nasution Ismail over DAP's
S Neelamekan, but conceded after several meetings between the BA leaders
in Kuala Lumpur.
The
squabble have been hogging the media headlines with DAP leaders
criticising Keadilan for bulldozing their way into Lunas which DAP
considered its traditional seat.
Power-sharing
Wan
Azizah said that "intrigues and subterfuge aimed at brow-beating a
coalition partner into submission should not be part of BA politics".
In
managing the coalition which had made tremendous progress in the course of
the last 20 months, the BA Council of Leaders should formulate guidelines
that will help to enhance its cohesiveness and effectiveness, she said.
The
differences in opinion related to electoral strategies and had nothing to
do with fundamental values, principles and policies, such as power sharing
between the communities within the context of a multi-ethnic,
multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia, she added.
She
also said that Keadilan was "deeply distressed that the selection of
the candidate for the Lunas by-election and the entire Lunas episode had
led to a misunderstanding of Keadilan's political orientation and
intention".
"We
realise that there is considerable unhappiness within a segment of the
Indian community over the episode," she said, adding that it has
accentuated the feeling of marginalisation and alienation within the
community.
"The
marginalisation of the Indian community which has been brought to the fore
by the Lunas episode should be addressed as a matter of urgent priority by
Keadilan and other BA parties," she said.
Reject
BN
Meanwhile,
DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, in a separate statement, called on Lunas
voters to send a clear message of disapproval of the Barisan Nasional
government by voting for BA's Saifuddin.
He
admitted that it was unfortunate that the run-up to the Lunas by-election
had led to a BA crisis revolving round the marginalisation of Indians.
"This
is an important question which must be addressed as it affects the
viability of BA," added Lim.
He
said the DAP central executive committee had called for a cooling-off
period until after the by-election for a comprehensive review of DAP
within BA so as to not adversely affect the Lunas by-election result.
Polling
day for the Lunas by-election is on Wednesday which also happens to be the
first anniversary of last year's general elections.Malaysiakini |
