PETALING JAYA: A prominent DAP member has called for a response from Putrajaya to PAS chief Abdul Hadi Awang’s assertion that political decision-making positions in a country like Malaysia must be reserved for Muslims.

Referring to a recent article that Hadi wrote for Harakah Daily, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said he found it shocking that Prime Minister Najib Razak had not openly condemned Hadi for his opinion.

He also noted the silence of Barisan Nasional component parties on the matter and said they must state their stand immediately or leave the impression that they were in agreement with Hadi.

Hadi’s article was uploaded to the PAS online newspaper last Friday.

Ramkarpal said the opinion piece could be seen as Hadi’s attempt to rewrite the Federal Constitution, “which has long recognised members of the cabinet to be of equal status.”

He said the constitution nowhere stated that non-Muslim cabinet members should play a limited role, as Hadi had suggested.

“The argument is further strengthened by the fact that this country has been declared secular in a decision of the Supreme Court,” he added.

The Supreme Court, when it made the decision in 1988, was presided over by former lord president Salleh Abas, a PAS member.

“That declaration holds true to this day,” Ramkarpal said.

Batu MP and PKR vice-president Tian Chua meanwhile shrugged off Hadi’s vision as one already manifested in Umno’s practice.

“What Hadi has stated is already happening with Umno,” he said. “Umno alone is running the show and the other parties in BN are so marginalised that they can no longer claim equality within the coalition.”

He also said he believed Hadi was telling the public that PAS would continue to be on its own. “That is more likely the statement he was trying to make. It is an answer to those who ask what happens after they vote for PAS and it forms the government.

“This is Hadi telling them what PAS will do if that is the case.

“He is trying to stay relevant. I do not think BN component parties take his statement seriously enough to respond. But perhaps they are still on their Christmas holidays.”

PAS yesterday objected to headlines suggesting that Hadi had said only Malay Muslims should be cabinet ministers.

“Not a single sentence in the president’s statement points to his wanting an all-Malay cabinet,” said the party’s deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Man.

He said Hadi wrote about a government in which a Malay Muslim would hold the top political position and non-Muslims could contribute their expertise.

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