Opposition groups face new rift in Malaysia

Opposition groups face new rift in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Opposition leaders on Monday downplayed a dispute that has flared amid accusations that a mostly ethnic Malay Muslim party is siphoning members from its ethnic Chinese partner in Malaysia's main opposition coalition.

Senior officials of the National Justice Party denied that their bureau in northern Penang state recently accepted applications to join the party from several key members of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the country's largest Chinese opposition group.

"There are some inaccuracies in that," Tian Chua, the Justice Party's vice president, told The Associated Press. "We will work it out with the DAP."

Chua claimed that local media reports regarding the matter were designed to divert the public's attention from problems within the ruling National Front coalition. He said that the Chinese party's leaders were misled by the reports because of communication weaknesses between the parties.

On Monday, the chief of the Chinese party's northern division said that it would immediately "loosen" relations with the Justice Party, which is known as Keadilan in the Malay language.

"We are upset that Keadilan has chosen to treat us like a foe rather than a comrade in the same struggle," said Chow Kon Yeow. "This is not an honorable way to treat a fraternal party (that has) gone all the way to help prop up Keadilan."

Lim Kit Siang, the Chinese party's high-profile national chairman, said he did not want to attend any discussions on the matter.

"I find such a situation most disappointing as well as exasperating," Lim said.

The Justice Party was founded by Azizah Ismail, the wife of jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim, two years ago after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad fired Anwar as his deputy. The party says it is fighting for sweeping democratic reforms which can only be achieved through Mahathir's ouster.

The opposition insists that Mahathir had his former protege framed for corruption and sodomy to rout Anwar's political challenge. Anwar is serving two prison terms totaling 15 years, but Mahathir denies he had anything to do with the charges.

The Justice Party and the Democratic Action Party banded with two other opposition parties in an attempt to unseat Mahathir in general elections in 1999. But the coalition failed to deny Mahathir's ruling group its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament, although an Islamic fundamentalist party made inroads in several mainly Malay regions.

The opposition coalition, whose partners each have different ideologies and goals, is often plagued by internal squabbling. It nearly fell apart last November when both the Justice Party and the Chinese party wanted to field a candidate from their respective parties in a closely watched by-election.