Dap S Stance On Policies Under Fire From Psm

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PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvam. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: The DAP’s stance on national policy issues and towards other Pakatan Harapan partners has come under fire from Parti Socialis Malaysia. Its deputy chairman, S Arutchelvam, remarked in an online posting today: “With friends like this, Pakatan Harapan doesn’t need an enemy.”Taking note of a scheduled second meeting of DAP leaders this week, Arutchelvam said instead of a DAP “pow-wow” it would be better for PH to hold a pow-wow among themselves, to stop shooting themselves in the foot on policy matters
“Everyone is getting tired,” he said, taking note of various controversies including the question of a successor to Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister and the date of his handing over power. “For heaven’s sake have a pow-wow please to resolve that issue rather than having a protracted warfare.”Last week DAP leaders and elected representative held a five-hour meeting to discuss the introduction of khat (Jawi calligraphy) lessons in vernacular schools. Another meeting is scheduled at DAP headquarters tomorrow, this time about the hot issue of renewal of the operating licence for the Lynas Corporation rare-earths plant in Kuantan
Arutchelvam said the “one party pow-wow” appeared to be only about “how to counter other component parties within the PH”
The DAP has often been at odds with other PH partners on issues such as khat, Lynas, a proposed new Selangor law to allow unilateral conversion of children, and in its opposition to controversial Indian preacher Zakir Naik, who has been granted permanent residence in Malaysia
Arutchelvam said the khat issue and the proposed Selangor enactment had divided the nation and asked “Who is engineering this discontent?”He said PH had been shooting themselves too often in the foot (with controversies over policies) “and it is bringing the whole coalition down. So it is better for PH to hold a pow-wow among themselves first to get their act together.”PH needs a policy review panel, says JeyakumarPSM’s chairman, Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, in a press statement today, urged Pakatan Harapan to set up a high-level committee to scrutinise government policies before they are made public
He said policies to do with language, religion and education should be vetted by the review committee first before PH ministers are allowed to make an announcement
Jeyakumar said criticised PH for its disappointing performance in announcing policies, as the coalition had been voted into power on hopes of “a just and more harmonious society”
“What is going on Pakatan?” he said. “Why betray your constituents?”He said there had been speculation that ethnic issues were being stirred up “on purpose to weaken certain coalition partners” or to draw public attention away from issues involving certain leaders
This report was amended to include Jeyakumar’s remarks. - FMT

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