From:
Date: 01 Dec 1999
Time: 02:18:53
DAP to discuss party future, ties with PAS
SEREMBAN: The DAP leadership, which fared badly in the elections, will meet tomorrow to discuss the party's future and whether to continue working with PAS.
DAP national chairman Dr Chen Man Hin said the central executive committee would meet in Petaling Jaya.
"The meeting would discuss the future of the party and its co-operation with PAS in the opposition coalition," he said.
Dr Chen said the voters had sent out a strong message to DAP that they rejected the party's co-operation with PAS.
He said the initial assessment of the general election results pointed to the fear of non-Muslims towards the setting up of an Islamic state.
"Non-Muslims fear that it will endanger their future because they do not want an Islamic state," he said yesterday.
"The strong message (from voters) is that they do not want an Islamic state. It (the defeat) is more our collaboration with PAS," he added.
The co-operation of DAP in the opposition coalition had benefited PAS as could be seen from the general election results, he said.
The opposition coalition is made up of DAP, PAS, Parti Keadilan Nasional (Keadilan) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).
Dr Chen said that there could be a hope for the opposition coalition in future if PAS did not push for an Islamic state.
DAP suffered a humiliating defeat in this general election where the party's big guns like secretary-general Lim Kit Siang, deputy chairman Karpal Singh and Dr Chen were wiped out by slim majorities.
Dr Chen said the party had probably managed to garner about 30% of Chinese votes while MCA bagged some 60%.