Pas Congress 3

by Shahrum Sayuthi and Rizalman Hammim

KOTA TINGGI: Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu has called on Pas to maintain its friendship with PKR and DAP despite the current strained relationship between the Pakatan allies.

Mohamad, who was opening the Pas Youth annual general meeting here pointed out that Pas has always been weakened when it loses its “friends” and suffered badly in general elections after that.

He reminded the Pas Youth delegates of the poor showing by the party in the 2004 general election following DAP’s decision to leave Barisan Alternative after the relatively good showing of the then opposition coalition in the 1999 general election.

“Every time we lose a friend, we will lose votes, that’s the reality. Therefore we must keep our friends in order to do well,” he said.

Mohamad also stressed that Pas members must always regard Umno as their main enemy and that friendship with it is impossible to achieve.

“Do not give your hand (in friendship) to Umno. We will slap away hands which try to do that,” he said.

Mohamad also called on party members not to consider breaking away from the party due to disagreement and differences of opinion following the Selangor leadership crisis.

He drew parallel of what is happening in Malaysia to that which happened in Indonesia where the split of Islamic movements. there had caused them the lost opportunity in gaining power in the republic’s recent general election.

Mohamad also reiterated that Pas will always be led by the ulama of the party and that those who disagreed with the Syura Council ’s stand in the handling of the Selangor crisis were merely offering a check and balance to their leadership.

The Syura Council, which is the highest decision making body in the party had recently thrown its support behind Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim but Pas central committee, dominated by the faction led by Mohammed had instead sided with the decision by PKR and DAP to remove him.

Discussion over the split of opinion between Pas leaders over the issue was expected to dominate the party’s muktamar (annual general meeting) which will start on Thursday.

- source NST online