Pas ulama faction backs Hadi

by Shahrum Sayuthi

KULAIJAYA: The Pas ulama (religious leaders) faction yesterday rallied their support behind embattled Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang ahead of the party’s muktamar (annual general meeting), which starts in Batu Pahat today.

Hadi, who has been heavily criticised by Pas’ Pakatan allies and members of the party’s non-ulama faction over his handling of the Selangor leadership crisis, received strong endorsement at the annual meetings of the Syura Council as well as the party’s youth and women wings, which took place in Johor Baru and Kota Tinggi yesterday.

Leading the way were members of the Syura Council, the highest decision-making body of the party, which, among others, demanded the cooperation with PKR and DAP be reviewed because of disagreements over the (Selangor leadership) crisis.

They also demanded that disciplinary action be taken against members who defied Hadi and the council.

The party’s deputy spiritual adviser, Datuk Haron Din, in his opening speech at the Syura Council meeting, called on members to support Hadi and stressed that Pas’ main strength lies in its religious leadership.

He said the attacks against Hadi and the party’s religious leaders, particularly from within the party itself, had worsened of late following the Selangor crisis.

“We were relentlessly attacked by our own, especially in social media. I was even condemned for receiving visits by ministers when warded at IJN (National Heart Institute).”

Haron reminded delegates that Pas’ struggle was meant to uphold Islamic principles and that aim superseded others, including the party’s cooperation with PKR and DAP.

He said cooperation with PKR and DAP had its boundaries, and, if broken, would necessitate its religious leaders to review the party’s position in such a cooperation.

“Once it is felt that such a cooperation has become questionable in terms of Islamic principles, the ulama must rethink our party’s position and members must support that decision.

“Everything is possible, such as in a marriage, which can end in a divorce.”

Reciting Quranic verses to stress his point, Haron said Islamic struggles, as championed by Pas, would never be successful if party members abandoned their ideals for the sake of political gains.
Syura Council acting chief Datuk Ahmad Yaakub said Hadi had done the right thing by upholding the party’s Islamic principles in the face of the Selangor crisis.

He said party members should support Hadi’s decisions, because as party president, he put the interests of Pas and Islam above all else when he decided to defy PKR and DAP by submitting more than two nominations for the menteri besar’s post, as decreed by Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

“The Syura Council praises and stands firm behind our party president (Hadi) for his steadfastness in upholding the party’s Islamic principles despite being pressured by our Pakatan partners and some of our own leaders,” said Ahmad.

PKR and DAP had insisted that Pas follow their lead by only nominating PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the MB’s post.

Members of a another faction within the Pas leadership, known to be aligned to Dr Wan Azizah’s husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had protested against Hadi’s decision to not toe Pakatan’s line on the issue.

Supporters of the faction, known to be led by Hadi’s deputy, Mohamad Sabu, had, over the past weeks launched a cyberwar in social media against Hadi and members of the Syura Council.

The council was the first to oppose the ouster of Selangor MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, but its decision at the start of the crisis, which was supported by Hadi and party spiritual adviser Datuk Nik  Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was ignored by members of the central committee, dominated by pro-Anwar supporters, who proceeded to support PKR and DAP’s plan to nominate Dr Wan Azizah.

The Selangor leadership crisis was triggered by PKR’s “Kajang Move”, which was designed to have Anwar elected as Kajang assemblyman and subsequently taking over the MB post from Khalid.
The plan, however, was changed after Anwar’s sodomy conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals in March, upon which Dr Wan Azizah was roped in as a replacement.

Syura Council delegates, who took to the rostrum at their meeting yesterday, repeatedly called for disciplinary action to be taken against those who opposed Hadi and the party’s religious leaders.

They also unanimously passed a number of resolutions demanding the party sanction those who opposed the authority of the party president and Syura Council and the cooperation with PKR and DAP be maintained only if it benefited the party’s struggles to uphold Islam.

- source NST online