Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling
Jaya
on Wednesday, 23rd July 2008:
Abdullah should explain why he backed the Khir Toyo
proposal for a one-race, one-religion Selangor State Government after
the March 8 general election
Former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo
thought he was doing the state, people and nation a great service when
he tried to mid-wife a UMNO-PAS Selangor State Government after the
March 8 general election.
He wrote on his blog that he arranged for a muzakarah between PAS
leaders and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after
the general election and offered PAS the mentri besar post, deputy
mentri besar post as well as four executive councilors in a PAS-UMNO
coalition government in Selangor to champion Malay interests.
There is some discrepancy in Khir’s account from that of Selangor PAS
leader and MP for Shah Alam, Abdul Khalid Samad, who had attended the
muzarakah, with the latter recounting that Khir wanted the Deputy Mentri
Besar post although Khir claimed that he was willing to be left out of
the state government line-up if that would encourage PAS to accept the
“power-sharing”.
Khalid, who had described the muzarakah as “coloured with a racial
agenda” of Umno, had denied that PAS harboured any intention of any
power-sharing arrangement with UMNO in Selangor as PAS had already
agreed to the proposal to name PKR’s Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Mentri
Besar.
In the Berita Harian today, Khir was quoted as saying that discussion
over his Umno-PAS power-sharing arrangement went on for four days but
was unsuccessful because of external influences.
Right-thinking Malaysians must find it most shocking and outraged that
the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had just
presided over a RM100 million 50th Merdeka national celebrations and
repeatedly pledged to be Prime Minister of all Malaysians and not just
for any one race, could give his blessing and endorse the formation of a
one-race, one-religion government for the most advanced state in
Malaysia – Selangor - in the year 2008!
Abdullah owes all Malaysians a full and proper explanation!
*
Lim
Kit Siang, DAP
Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor
http://dapmalaysia.org