Pas Congress 11

NST online

BATU PAHAT: Pas Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat has urged all members to unite under the leadership of president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as a way to resolve the current crisis in the party.
Suhaizan said Hadi, as president, is a symbol of party unity.
"We also need to be with other senior leaders like Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Dr Harun Din. It is also time for us to resolve the crisis because if we do not, it would only lead to more problems to the party," said Suhaizan.
He also said that party leaders should think of the sacrifices of party members instead of quarreling with each other.
The Pas leadership has been split following the Selangor leadership crisis between the ulama (religious leaders) faction led by Hadi and the so called "progressive" faction led by deputy president Mohamad Sabu who is known as aligned to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"Take this muktamar for example. There are many party members who sacrifice their time and money to volunteer their services here but the leaders are having a crisis," said Suhaizan.
He also asked members not to be so engrossed with current problems that the party is facing that they forgot about other party matters.
"I would suggest that members spend 70 per cent of their time to think about other party matters so that we can bring the party forward," said Suhaizan.

Pas Congress 10

by MARTIN CARVALHO, RAHMAH GHAZALI, RAHIMY RAHIM, AND KATHLEEN ANN KILI

BATU PAHAT: PAS’ legal bureau chairman Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (pic) was booed and jeered for passionately urging the party to reject the appointment of its assemblyman as the new Selangor Mentri Besar next week.

In his winding-up speech on the last day of PAS’ 60th Muktamar (annual gathering) here, the Sepang MP did not mince his words that the party would suffer dire consequences if it accepted the post.

“You can boo and jeer as loud as you want. I do not care.

“These are the realities based on facts,” said Mohamed Hanipa Saturday, who is the chairman of legal and human rights bureau (Luham).

He then outlined two reasons if the party went ahead to accept the post - PAS would be accused of breaking its promise that the post belongs to PKR and the possibility of the party forming a weak government.

“If you think you can handle that and accept the post, but do you think you can form a majority government that is not fragile?” he asked.

At this point, Mohamed Hanipa retorted that his argument was based on facts and that the crowd could boo as long as they wanted.

“Go ahead and boo all you want. I am arguing based on facts not on shouts,” he said, adding that this could also result in snap polls.

Earlier, the practicing lawyer was also booed when he defended the legal bureau’s views on the president’s veto power and the Syura Ulama council’s interpretation of it under the party constitution.

He insisted that based on the amendments to the party constitution on 1983, the party president had no veto power.

“However, I do not deny that the president can make his own decision but it has to be in the spirit of the constitution where he needs to refer to the central committee,” he said, to boos and jeers by the delegates and observers.

The deputy permanent chairman Hussein Ismail then called for calm.

- source Star online

Will Singapore Reconsider?

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia will explain to Singapore the reason behind the recent toll charges implemented at the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex on Aug 1.

The cabinet had tasked the Transport and Foreign Affairs Ministries with meeting their Singaporean counterparts soon to clarify the matter, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said yesterday.

It was hoped that the meeting would push Singapore to reconsider its decision to increase toll rates at the Woodlands checkpoint, which will start early next month, he said.

The two ministries were tasked to do so after a recent cabinet meeting.

“As far as I know, there is no prior agreement to the republic matching the toll rate if Malaysia were to raise its rates.

“We need to explain to them (Singapore) that we are imposing the toll rates so that we can pay the concessionaire of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL).”

Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Chinese business community, comprising more than 30 associations, at Wisma Tiong-Hua here, Wee said the government had to pay RM11 million every month to EDL’s concessionaire, which paid for the construction of the EDL.

To this end, the government had set up a toll booth at the CIQ at the end of the EDL, Wee said.

“If we were to place the toll booth anywhere else, more motorists would be affected.

“Moreover, we have already exempted motorcyclists from paying as we know many locals go to Singapore to work using motorcycles.

“If Singapore justifies its toll rate hike by saying it is only matching our toll hike, then it would seem as if we were to blame for the increased rates.”

Wee said community leaders had proposed that the government use part of the proceeds of the soon-to-be imposed Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to pay the concessionaire.

On Sept 12, the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced its new toll rates that will take effect next month following Malaysia’s toll rate imposed at the CIQ on Aug 1.

The LTA said it had been a long-standing policy for Singapore to match the toll rates set by Malaysia at the Causeway and the Second Link.

The toll rates at the CIQ are RM9.70 and RM6.80 for inbound and outbound cars, respectively.

Singapore’s new toll rate for cars will see an increase from S$1.20 to S$3.80 (RM3.03 to RM9.62).

Hudud For All: Star Exclusive

by Rahmah Ghazali

KAJANG: After taking over PAS supporter’s club from Hu Pang Chow last April, the new chairman of the non-Muslim wing has reversed his predecessor’s position on the shariah laws.

Unlike Hu, N. Balasubramaniam (pic) believes that the Islamic penal code could serve as a preventive law in reducing the crime rate in the country.

“I believe that the hudud law is effective for the people. It is already enshrined in the holy book, there must be a reason why it is there,” he told The Star Online at a recent interview.

Hailing from Kuala Lipis, Pahang, 56-year-old Balasubramaniam said a similar criminal law was the practice of an ancient kingdom in India and asked why there is now objection to it.

“The (criminal) law was called manu neethi sastram. It was a similar law to hudud that required offenders to have their hand chopped for stealing, or stoned to death for some other offences,” he said.

Balasubramaniam, who joined PAS in 2008, felt that non-Muslims can accept hudud if the right explanation is given.

“I have organised a number of forums with various NGOs on hudud law and they seem to be receptive to it.

“They also agreed that the Islamic penal code could bring down the crime rate significantly,” he said.

Hu’s outspokenness on the matter had seen him removed from helming the non-Muslim wing, but Balasubramaniam said this was just a part of forming a new committee.

“Hu was not sacked, but PAS merely wanted a new committee as he had held the position for four years.

“Besides, what he said about hudud was his personal views and the party could not take any action based on that,” he said.

Notably PAS has also been at loggerheads with its Pakatan Rakyat partners over its persistence on the implementation of the hudud law.

Now that he is given the responsibility of spearheading the PAS’ supporter’s club, Balasubramaniam said they will carry on with activities in the field and try to garner more members.

He said he would give himself a period of three years to prove to the party that the wing is capable of attracting new followers.

"In return, PAS should reward us with more seats in the next general elections with one non-Muslim candidate fielded in each state,” he said.

During GE13, three non-Muslim PAS candidates were fielded at two state seats and one parliamentary seat, but all were defeated. To date, the wing has 40,000 members  registered nationwide.

- source Star online

We Need To Talk

JOHOR BARU: The government will soon meet with the Singapore government to better explain on the implementation of the toll hike for the Causeway here on August 1, which has also triggered a matching toll by the republic's authorities next month.

The federal government will hold a meeting with their Singapore counterparts soon to discuss the matter in addition to explain the action of the recent increase in toll rates at the Sultan Iskandar Building's Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Transport Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have been tasked to meet their counterparts soon to convey the message, after being given the nod at a recent Cabinet meeting.

"As far as I know there is no prior agreement that the republic must match the toll rate if Malaysia also raises its toll.

"We need to explain to them (Singapore) that we are increasing our toll rate so that we can pay to the concessionaire of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL)," Wee said after a closed-door meeting with
the hinese business community from more than 30 associations at the Johor Baru Wisma Tiong-Hua here today.

Also present was Johor tourism, domestic trade and consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.

The toll charges for cars will increase from S$1.20 (RM3.03) to S$6.50 (RM16.44) while the charges for vans and light goods vehicles from S$1.90 (RM4.81) to S$9.80 (RM24.79). Heavy goods vehicles S$2.60 (RM6.58) to S$13 (RM32.88). Taxis S$0.60 (RM1.52) to S$3.30 (RM8.35) and buses S$1.00 (RM2.53) to S$5.30 (RM13.40).

Pas Congress 9

Some Pas members want to appease Pakatan by rejecting MB's post

by Shahrum Sayuthi

NST online

BATU PAHAT: Concerned with the possibility of Pas leaving the Pakatan coalition following dispute over the Selangor leadership crisis, some members insisted that the party leadership reject the MB post if selected by the Sultan.

The topic continued to be the main talking point on the second day of the party's muktamar (annual general meeting).

First speaker of the debate session today, Wan Kharizal Wan Khazim from Perlis called on the party leadership not to accept a possible appointment of the Selangor Menteri Besar post from among their assemblymen.

He said Pas could not afford to offend PKR and DAP by accepting the post which he insisted should be given to PKR.

"We must maintain our moral integrity and not break our promise to our Pakatan friends," he said.

It was reported that a new MB would be sworn in front of the Selangor Sultan on Sept 23.

Sources had indicated that the Selangor palace was keen to appoint a Pas assemblyman as the new MB instead of one from PKR.

The Selangor leadership crisis was triggered by PKR's Kajang Move which was designed to replace current MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The Pas leadership was divided over the issue with the ulama (religious leaders) faction led by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang being against the PKR's move while another faction, led by his deputy Mohamad Sabu being supportive of it.

Wan Kharizal said Pas will lose the support of the non-muslim community if it breaks relation with PKR and DAP.

"We have made a lot of gains among the non-muslims in the last general election with the help of our friends. Therefore, we must be sincere with them," he said.

Second speaker, Khairul Anwar Wafa from Negeri Sembilan called on the party leadership to move an urgent motion at the muktamar to reject the possible appointment of its assemblyman as Selangor MB.

"We must make known to our Pakatan Rakyat friends that we do not want the post," he said.

Khairul Anwar, nonetheless qualified his suggestion by pointing out that Pas should not at the same time defy the wish of the Sultan of Selangor if indeed the Ruler wants a Pas assemblyman to be the new MB.

"At least when the time comes, after we had made the urgent motion, we can tell our friends (PKR and DAP) that the appointment is the wish of the Sultan and not ours," he said.