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PR would have suffered serious losses in 2013 polls if hudud was major issue, says DAP

Masterplan needed for world-class universities, DAP tells Putrajaya

Pakatan Rakyat would have suffered devastating setbacks in Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Melacca if it had made hudud a major issue in last year’s general election, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said.

The Gelang Patah MP (pic), who had earlier said hudud was never a vote-winner for PAS in previous elections, gave an illustration of how PR would have performed in the four Barisan Nasional-controlled states if hudud had been part of PR's manifesto.

He said PR in Perak would have lost even more seats last year if hudud had been part of the manifesto.

"In Perak, PR was two seats short of forming the state government in the general election.

"If hudud had been part of PR’s manifesto, PR would have only won 17 state seats instead of the 28 seats won, with a 20% drop in non-Malay support.

"PAS and PKR would have been reduced to one and two seats respectively from five seats each while DAP would have only won 14 seats rather than the 18 it won," he said in a statement today.

Lim said in Pahang, where PR won 12 out of 42 state seats (28%) in the 13th general election last year, PR would have won just four seats under the worst outcome of a 20% fall in non-Malay support.

PAS and DAP would only have won two seats each in the state, he added.

Meanwhile in Negri Sembilan, where PR denied BN a two-thirds control of the state legislature by taking 14 seats out of 36 (39%), the hudud issue would have cost PR eight seats, giving them just six.

In Melacca, where DAP holds six state seats and PAS one seat out of 28 (25%), the hudud issue would have reduced the number to only three (11%).

Lim said DAP would have been the only PR party left standing in Melacca if that had happened.

"We went down this path before just prior to the 2004 general election.

"PAS's insistence on passing the hudud enactment in Terengganu led to DAP leaving the Barisan Alternatif in 2001.

"BN went on to a historic victory in 2004, winning 91% of parliament seats and 89% of state seats in Peninsular Malaysia," he said.

Lim, a veteran opposition leader, said PR had gone through many challenges since the 2008 general election when it won four states.

He stressed that PR must not lose sight of its main goals.

He also said many PR leaders continue to be "persecuted and prosecuted by the BN regime".

"Many of them could lose their state and parliament seats if the judicial system dispenses the same kind of justice which was shown to (the late Bukit Gelugor MP and DAP national chairman) Karpal Singh and (opposition leader Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim.

"Our focus should be on those who continue to abuse their powers, benefit from corruption, and are out to destroy our institutions.

"(Our focus should) not be distracted from our larger goal of reforming the country and focusing on the goal to win Putrajaya in the 14th general election in order to give Malaysians a better future for all," he said.

Lately DAP has been attacking the hudud issue to reaffirm its stand against the implementation of the Islamic criminal law.

Karpal was most vocal in speaking against the implementation of hudud, which he said was against the Federal Constitution. – April 25, 2014.