Proposed electoral boundary rejig is to restore rights of oppressed, not deny non-Muslims, says Khairuddin

ISKANDAR PUTERI, April 19 — PAS has denied DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s claim that the Islamist party’s proposal to redraw electoral boundaries if it wins the next general election (GE15) would be to the disadvantage of non-Muslim communities in the country.

PAS central committee member Datuk Khairuddin Aman Razali said that the suggested move was to restore the rights of those who have been oppressed for far too long.

“Our intention to redraw electoral boundaries if we win GE15 is the vision of every party.

“Which party does not want to expand its area of control? This is the reality,” said Khairuddin after witnessing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board and KPRJ Builders Sdn Bhd at Bangunan Datuk Jaafar Muhammad in Kota Iskandar here today.

Yesterday, a Malay daily reported Lim as saying that PAS’ proposal amounted to apartheid and would deny the rights of non-Muslims.

According to him, the action would go against the Federal Constitution.

Khairuddin pointed out that the redrawing of electoral boundaries is the right of the people in the affected areas, especially states on the east coast, which, he said, have been on the short end of the stick for years.

“For example, Terengganu has only had eight parliamentary seats since 1963. Kelantan has 14 parliamentary seats, Kedah 15 and Pahang 14.

“This is something that we want to correct and return people their rights,” he said.

Commenting further, Khairuddin said PAS would never do anything to the detriment of non-Muslim communities, adding instead that Lim’s statement showed the Opposition’s fear that it would be the one at a disadvantage.

On Lim’s claim that the Islamist party was the most dangerous party in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, he said PAS was indeed the most dangerous party for DAP because of their ideological differences.

“True, the danger is to DAP. PAS is the most dangerous party to DAP because of its ideology that is contrary to ours, which is the Parti Islam SeMalaysia,” said Khairuddin, who is also the plantation industries and commodities minister.

Since late last month, Lim and Khairuddin have traded barbs over the issue of the redrawing of electoral boundaries.