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KOTA BARU – The decision to refrain from holding elections for the positions of PAS president and deputy president was made by the party’s members so that Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man can remain at the helm in the respective posts.
In reasoning this, party vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah claimed that PAS has never forbidden the positions from being challenged, unlike what has been practised in Umno.
He said, however, that for the three vice-presidents’ seats, all candidates won without contesting.
“Originally, there was a challenge among four candidates, three of whom were incumbents and the other being the menteri besar of Kedah, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Mohd Nor.
“However, Muhammad Sanusi withdrew for certain reasons, causing the other three candidates to be counted as winners without contesting and only four candidates being nominated,” he said when met by reporters at the Kelantan royal awards ceremony in conjunction with the 54th birthday of Sultan Muhammad V at the state palace here today.
The media had previously reported PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan as announcing that there would be no contest for the top five positions at the party’s 69th annual convention, which is scheduled to take place next month.
He had said that the five positions were those of president, deputy president and three vice- presidents.
‘Umno more democratic’
Earlier today, Umno took a swipe at PAS’ move to block any challenge against Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim.
Kelantan Umno deputy information chief Noor Hariri Mohamed Noor commented that the move demonstrated that Umno is more democratic than PAS.
He said that he was not surprised by the decision made by the Islamist party.
"In my view, when a decision of no-contest is made in a party, it is mainly to ensure the stability (of the party) and protect it from disunity after the polls.
"However, there was something different in this case, as this time PAS did not compete for the five highest posts and it was very surprising.
“This is a strange decision and places a question mark for some PAS members who certainly feel that their rights are being denied. (They are treated) as though they do not want new individuals to replace the existing leadership," Noor Hariri had said in a statement today.
He stressed that with such a decision made by PAS, Umno is seen as being more democratic between the two.
"After all, Umno leaders are different from PAS. If you look at it from the beginning, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has been holding the position of PAS president for twenty years, starting in 2003 until now.
"In that time Umno has already had three presidents – Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the latest being Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"It turns out that Umno is more democratic and listens to grassroots voices more than PAS does," he said. – The Vibes, September 30, 2023