Questions on Umno ties haunt a muted PAS assembly
PAS leaders sailed through the party’s general assembly with a pledge on the president’s wisdom marking the end of the meeting.
KUALA TERENGGANU: A loud pledge hailing the wisdom of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in steering the party ended the party’s two-day muktamar (general assembly) here at the weekend.
The convention went on without much criticism of the leadership. Still, the strained ties between the party and Umno remained a curious yet hushed matter among delegates, as both parties prepare to square off at the Melaka state elections.
Hadi has pledged to support Perikatan Nasional in the polls, while his deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, gave life to the party’s Muafakat Nasional pact with Umno.
The 650 delegates attending the assembly at a resort overlooking the Terengganu drawbridge steered clear of hot button topics, especially whether PAS can expect genuine cooperation from Umno, at a time the party is forgoing its “moon” symbol for the Perikatan Nasional banner in the elections.
No questions were raised about whether the current perceived animosity with Umno would carry on until the next 15th general election. However, grassroot members watching from afar questioned the PAS ties with PN and Bersatu, not Umno.
“There is confusion among the central leadership, with most trying to destroy Muafakat Nasional. This is what is happening to PAS now. To justify things by saying Umno was stubborn in their ways, PAS leaders at the top should show proof, not make baseless claims,” said Azmi Jaafar, a life PAS member from Penang.
He said in reality, PAS grassroots wanted the party to choose a credible political ally, such as Umno.
“The two big political parties are now PAS and Umno. Bersatu has no grassroots support, hence it is making use of PAS to its benefit. At the same time, they are killing Muafakat Nasional by doing this,” he said.
However, not everyone agrees that Umno is a better partner.
“Umno seems more eager to monopolise property and power. They are willing to betray a friend. But we remain committed to what the president decides,” said an Ipoh Barat delegate Aziz Abdullah, speaking to FMT.
The PAS decision to contest under the PN banner was never brought up at the muktamar.
Kota Bahru PAS Youth chief, Muhammad Abdul Malik Abdul Karim admits that there is “confusion at the grassroots level for example in using the PN logo.
“But what was explained by the president was practical and we should remain open-minded about it,” he said.
In their debates at the convention, party leaders such as Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim portrayed themselves as peacemakers between Umno and its splinter Bersatu, even though the issue was moot because the rivalry between Umno and Bersatu has been growing, and PAS has yet to bring peace.
To worsen matters came the PAS decision to use the PN logo when contesting eight seats in Melaka.
However, the delegates at the muktamar remain firmly behind the president’s stance on using the PN logo and to contest against Umno.
PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari made a rallying call in asking delegates to leave it to Hadi’s wisdom over the hullaballoo concerning Umno and Bersatu. “This is not a time for (deciphering) riddles, we have a leader, and he determines the direction of the party,” he said.
Hadi has led the party since 2002, with he and his team receiving the full backing of delegates in this year’s muktamar to face the next general election as part of the ruling coalition.
Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim held their presidency and deputy presidency intact as it was not contested.
Hadi’s son, Muhammad Khalil, received the highest number of votes, earning him a seat in the party’s central leadership. However, the son of the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz, Nik Mohamad Abduh, failed to defend his seat as committee member.
While detractors have fingered PAS for being less active in speaking out on issues related to Islam, such as gambling curbs, delegates spared the leaders from such criticism.
“We are now part of the ruling government, and you cannot assume the party leaders are not doing their jobs, thinking in the old opposition mindset. We have protested and so on back then, but now we can discuss them directly with the government,” Muhammad said.
KUALA TERENGGANU: A loud pledge hailing the wisdom of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in steering the party ended the party’s two-day muktamar (general assembly) here at the weekend.
The convention went on without much criticism of the leadership. Still, the strained ties between the party and Umno remained a curious yet hushed matter among delegates, as both parties prepare to square off at the Melaka state elections.
Hadi has pledged to support Perikatan Nasional in the polls, while his deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, gave life to the party’s Muafakat Nasional pact with Umno.
The 650 delegates attending the assembly at a resort overlooking the Terengganu drawbridge steered clear of hot button topics, especially whether PAS can expect genuine cooperation from Umno, at a time the party is forgoing its “moon” symbol for the Perikatan Nasional banner in the elections.
No questions were raised about whether the current perceived animosity with Umno would carry on until the next 15th general election. However, grassroot members watching from afar questioned the PAS ties with PN and Bersatu, not Umno.
“There is confusion among the central leadership, with most trying to destroy Muafakat Nasional. This is what is happening to PAS now. To justify things by saying Umno was stubborn in their ways, PAS leaders at the top should show proof, not make baseless claims,” said Azmi Jaafar, a life PAS member from Penang.
He said in reality, PAS grassroots wanted the party to choose a credible political ally, such as Umno.
“The two big political parties are now PAS and Umno. Bersatu has no grassroots support, hence it is making use of PAS to its benefit. At the same time, they are killing Muafakat Nasional by doing this,” he said.
However, not everyone agrees that Umno is a better partner.
“Umno seems more eager to monopolise property and power. They are willing to betray a friend. But we remain committed to what the president decides,” said an Ipoh Barat delegate Aziz Abdullah, speaking to FMT.
The PAS decision to contest under the PN banner was never brought up at the muktamar.
Kota Bahru PAS Youth chief, Muhammad Abdul Malik Abdul Karim admits that there is “confusion at the grassroots level for example in using the PN logo.
“But what was explained by the president was practical and we should remain open-minded about it,” he said.
In their debates at the convention, party leaders such as Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim portrayed themselves as peacemakers between Umno and its splinter Bersatu, even though the issue was moot because the rivalry between Umno and Bersatu has been growing, and PAS has yet to bring peace.
To worsen matters came the PAS decision to use the PN logo when contesting eight seats in Melaka.
However, the delegates at the muktamar remain firmly behind the president’s stance on using the PN logo and to contest against Umno.
PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari made a rallying call in asking delegates to leave it to Hadi’s wisdom over the hullaballoo concerning Umno and Bersatu. “This is not a time for (deciphering) riddles, we have a leader, and he determines the direction of the party,” he said.
Hadi has led the party since 2002, with he and his team receiving the full backing of delegates in this year’s muktamar to face the next general election as part of the ruling coalition.
Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim held their presidency and deputy presidency intact as it was not contested.
Hadi’s son, Muhammad Khalil, received the highest number of votes, earning him a seat in the party’s central leadership. However, the son of the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz, Nik Mohamad Abduh, failed to defend his seat as committee member.
While detractors have fingered PAS for being less active in speaking out on issues related to Islam, such as gambling curbs, delegates spared the leaders from such criticism.
“We are now part of the ruling government, and you cannot assume the party leaders are not doing their jobs, thinking in the old opposition mindset. We have protested and so on back then, but now we can discuss them directly with the government,” Muhammad said.
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kt notes:
Coincidentally, PAS is suffering from the same malaise as DAP is, that of an old but nyanyuk (senile) and avaricious Supremo.
The difference in avarice between the two is that while Hadi, ironically and purportedly the leader of a spirtitually inclined Islamic Party, enjoys the material rewards accorded to him by courtesy of an earlier besieged Muhyiddin, Lim KHAT OTOH, for all the materially inclined Chinese he may be, enjoys intrinsic power accorded to him via his son and DAP party.
When Chye-Chye was FM, wow, he was the father of a FM, wakakaka - yes, such would be the pride of Chinese fathers throughout the 5000 years of Chinese history, to revel in the achievements of their sons and grandsons etc, and the glory of their respective families. And it would seem he still hankers for such, keeping the door open for a hopefully returning Atuk to marshal Malay voters to the PH banner (seeing how Amanah has failed to do so).
El Supremo Islamic hangs on dearly to PN because UMNO had failed to accord him the same quantum of privileges and material rewards, and eff the hereafter. It's the "Here & Now" that matter, short term as it will be. So why would he sokong UMNO when PRIMUBI Bersatu has shown him his fantasized esteem, worth and earthly privileges?
El Supremo Islamic also knows that outside the Green Crescent (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu) the Moon is useless thus he hides behind his party candidates elsewhere behind the PN logo.
Hmmm, maybe he is not completely nyanyuk, so it seems, wakakaka!
It is obvious that PAS dares not stand for the election under its own flag due to the fact it knows its brand name in Malacca is not strong.
ReplyDeleteI hope a message is sent that PAS' toxic brand of politics will not be welcomed in Malacca.