By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysia's opposition parties are on the verge of breaking away from a pact which won the popular vote in the last general election.
The split occurs while de-facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is in jail.
The Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) have severed ties due to the Islamic party's decision to invoke Islamic penal code in Kelantan state -- a move which DAP saw as detrimental to a multi-cultural society.
Both PAS and DAP leaders have openly declared that they would cut ties, while Ibrahim's People Justice Party (PKR) is seen to be the middlemen with no concrete stand till now.
DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said Tuesday that the People's Pact -- which consist of the three parties -- can no longer exist as the mutual consent among members has been tarnished by PAS.
"The pact is no longer viable. We have to continue fighting like we did before 2008. We can no longer work together with PAS. We will only recognise PKR as our ally after this," he told Anadolu Agency in a text message Tuesday.
"Both DAP and PKR would [continue to] work together to end the evil regime of Barisan Nasional and UMNO at the federal front."
The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) is Malaysia's largest political party, and a founding member of the Barisan Nasional coalition which, with its predecessor the Alliance, has dominated Malaysian politics since independence.
DAP has 37 elected representatives in the Malaysian parliament, the largest among the opposition parties. PKR and PAS have 29 and 21, respectively, and each party controls one state legislative assembly.
PKR is expected to make its final stand on the issue Wednesday, although Ibrahim has asked all three parties to remain calm and work together.
The People's Pact was formed in April 2008 following the country's 12th general election. Collectively, the three parties won more than one-third of parliamentary seats and five state governments.
The National Front led by Prime Minister Najib Razak formed the federal government after the 2013 General Election with 60 percent of parliamentary seats, but only 47.38% of the popular vote.
The Ibrahim-led People's Pact won 50.87% of the popular vote, but failed to form the government as it failed to get a majority number of parliaments.
The election was the National Front's worst ever showing.
