AN UGLY SITUATION: All's not well with PAS, allies

BATU PAHAT - The rift was evident between PAS and its two allies in the Pakatan Rakyat by the time Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang  closed the party’s three-day assembly here.

There were several dramatic episodes, all centred on the party’s tahaluf siyasi (political collaboration) with the PKR and the DAP following the different stand taken by PAS on the Selangor mentri besar issue.

So, what was initially thought to be a gathering to affirm its commitment to Pakatan’s cause turned into a struggle by PAS leaders to halt the widening gap among its ranks.

The absence of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who were invited as guests, was the earliest sign that something was amiss in their political relationship.

Hints of division in PAS itself became apparent from the offset when several delegates loyal to the party president and the Syura and Ulama councils walked out when deputy president Mohamad Sabu spoke at the PAS Youth assembly in Kota Tinggi on Tuesday.

The Youth gathering was too hot to handle for the movement’s permanent chairman Kamarul Asha­ari, who suffered breathing difficulties and had to be rushed to the Kota Tinggi Hospital.

Party leaders tried to downplay the incident before the start of the main gathering in Batu Pahat on Thursday but were unable to stop the growing dissent among the delegates.

Although stating that the tahaluf siyasi still stood with the Pakatan allies, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, in his presidential address, warned PKR and DAP not to betray the party’s friendship.

He also downplayed the alleged strained relationship with Mat Sa­­bu when reporters raised the issue, saying in between smiles that his deputy was seated next to him at the press conference.

Kedah delegate Ridzuan Abu Bakar, who was not a listed speaker, caused a commotion when he dashed to the podium and lashed out at Federal Territories delegate Dr Azahari Ariffin for hitting out at certain party leaders. Ridzuan was quickly ushered away by several Unit Amal personnel.

Subsequent speakers continued to lash out at Mat Sabu and Youth chief Suhaizan Kayat, who were seen as going against the clerics and Hadi.

PAS deputy spiritual leader Da­­tuk Dr Haron Din was prompted to issue a gag order against delegates to not raise issues touching on Hadi and the Selangor MB crisis — but this went unheeded.

Legal bureau chief Mohamed Hanipa Maidin was booed and jeered when he defended the bureau’s stand that Hadi did not have veto powers with regard to his decision over the list of candidates for the mentri besar’s post.

He urged the party to reject the post if the Sultan appointed a PAS state assemblyman.

However, Ulama council deputy chairman Datuk Dr Mahfodz Moha­mad said PAS should abide by the Sultan’s choice or risk enraging the palace.

Things cooled down somewhat when party secretary-general Da­­tuk Mustafa Ali reminded the delegates that there “has always been a division between the clerics and professionals in PAS”.

However, he said that this division was not a hindrance as “PAS without the clerics is blind; PAS without professionals is lame”.

The issue over the mentri besar was finally put to rest by party president Hadi when he said that PAS was forced to act on its own to defend the principles of Islam.

The palace will announce the new Selangor mentri besar on Tuesday. -ANN