DAP not sincere, says Nasharudin

DAP violated the policy of mutual respect formed through 'tahaluf siyasi' (cooperation of an Islamic body with other movements with non-Islamic aims, to achieve the same goals) when it openly challenged several basis of Pas' struggle, said its former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa.

He said, the action was an attitude of disrespect towards the spirit of the pact between parties and simultaneously showed they were insincere in cooperating with Pas.

"At the outset of its formation, the opposition pact agreed to respect the policies of the other parties in the pact," he said in an exclusive interview through BN Online titled 'To Analyse Pas' Internal Crisis', today.

"However, lately, the policy of mutual respect has been challenged with DAP openly challenging several policies of the party's struggle," said Nasharudin.

On the factor that had caused Pas' struggle to be derailed, Nasharudin said, it could have happened because of the pressing current political scenario which made the party give in to the demands.

Asked if the majority of Muslim votes would go to Pas if it went it alone, he said Pas' strength was in the agenda of its Islamic struggle which was the cause of its formation.

On reports of the attitude of Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat who seemed angry with him, Nasharudin said he did wonder on the attitude of the spiritual leader of Pas towards him.

"It has been like that since the issue of the unity government which cropped up some time back, until today. I do not know the cause, but I still respect him as the highest leader in the party," he said, adding that to date, he had yet to receive in black-and-white his sacking from the Syura Council.

Asked if (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim had interfered in the internal business of Pas, he said, maybe he did, and it should not have taken place.

On his views on the Opposition Leader and his struggle, he said, several issues connected to Anwar had surfaced which raised doubts.

"As a Pas member, I am of the view that the highest leadership in my party is the best candidate to lead," he said.

On his photograph with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak in Mecca in August, Nasharudin said, he took part in many official missions abroad as Member of Parliament, including coincidentally with the Prime Minister.

Asked if he would accept Umno's offer to become a candidate in the coming general election if Pas sacked him as a member, Nasharudin said, he had never received any overtures from Umno to become a candidate in the upcoming 13th general election.

Meanwhile, Nasharudin was of the opinion that the issue of the word Allah bandied about by DAP leaders was just to reap votes from Christians.

The Allah issue was raised by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who pressed the government to allow the word to be used in the Malay version of the Bible and at one point the opposition coalition including Pas leaders also agreed that 'Allah' could be used by non-Muslims.

Nevertheless, Pas under the leadership of its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had to perform a U-turn after the party's Syura Council issued a decree that the word should not be used by non-Muslims.