I used my discretion in naming Selangor MB, says Hadi

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said his decision to submit three names for the Selangor menteri besar position the palace was based on the party’s constitution. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 6, 2014.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said he had used the discretion accorded to him by the party’s constitution to submit the three names for the Selangor menteri besar (MB) position to the palace.

“In PAS, we have always operated according to the constitution,” Hadi told a special briefing for party members and leaders in Terengganu yesterday.

“PAS’s constitution states the president has the right to decide on matters closely tied to the party. And its members, deputy and vice-presidents must abide by the president’s decision.”

He was responding to a question on his role in the Selangor MB impasse, after the Islamist party submitted the names of two PKR lawmakers and one PAS Selangor representative to the palace to for the top post.

The nominations were apparently done without the knowledge of the party’s central committee, which had decided on August 17 that PAS would not stake a claim in the MB post.

But, Hadi said yesterday it was common for a PAS president to make such a move, citing the late Datuk Fadzil Mohd Nor’s decision to appoint Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as the Kelantan MB.

“When we won in Kelantan in 1990, Fadzil called me, he called the secretary-general... (we) agreed to appoint Tok Guru Nik Aziz as the menteri besar,” said Hadi, who was the then PAS deputy president.

“We appointed him straight away… we sent a letter… Fadzil signed it, the president signed it. We did not have to consult the central committee."

He said this had been PAS’s practise for decades since it ruled Terengganu and Kelantan.

“Ever since I followed the PAS central committee in 1978, they were not consulted over the appointment of the MB. Only the president and a few others made the choice.

“That was how it was when we won in 1995, 1999, when we won Terengganu. There was no PAS central committee meeting. It was up to the top leadership to decide because we knew we had to do it quickly.”

Yesterday, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said he was not aware of reports that the party had submitted three names for the Selangor menteri besar post.

He said PAS had decided on August 17 to nominate only two candidates – PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy, Mohamed Azmin Ali.

PAS Malacca commissioner Adly Zahari was surprised over how the top leadership had apparently sidelined the central committee over the issue.

“PAS Malacca is very shocked by the actions,” he said in a statement today.

“PAS Malacca will request for clarification from the top leadership during the PAS central committee meeting tomorrow.”

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said Hadi had submitted three names to the palace on September 3.

He told Utusan Malaysia that the decision was made by the PAS Shura Council, which convened in Kota Baru.

Hadi also said the party's decision to reject Dr Wan Azizah as the next Selangor MB had nothing to do with her gender, but her capability as a leader because Selangor needed a strong leader.

He said a menteri besar should fulfil certain criteria to be qualified for such a position.

"If she doesn't have the ability to debate questions in Parliament or the state legislative assembly, how would she make a strong leader?

"This cannot be the case. And, based on those criteria, she is not qualified."

Hadi said that PAS was still part of Pakatan, and added that those who wanted to start a new party were welcomed to leave.

- TMI