PAS fears Amanah entering Selangor government
Selangor PAS commissioner reveals the party’s concern that rival Amanah will make inroads into the government if it severs ties with PKR.
SHAH ALAM: If the resolutions by various divisions in the party to sever ties with PKR are approved by the PAS leadership, it would only benefit offshoot and rival party Amanah.
This warning comes from Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Samad who said PAS’ presence in the Selangor state executive council ensures that Amanah is kept out of the state government.
He said PAS executive councillors, including himself, were not afraid of losing their positions in the event the party cuts ties with PKR, which currently leads the state government.
“But we are afraid that Amanah will then enter (into the state administration),” he told reporters at the Selangor state assembly here today.
Selangor is led by Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, who is PKR deputy president.
FMT reported on March 24 that PAS youth wings from the Kuala Selangor, Subang, Serdang and Pandan divisions had passed resolutions urging the central leadership to sever ties with PKR at their annual general meetings.
Yesterday, 13 of the 15 PAS divisions in Penang passed similar resolutions.
The resolutions follow in the wake of a video of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang expressing his intention to take control of Selangor. PAS Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Aziz later confirmed the plan.
Iskandar stressed the resolutions were not final as they needed to be brought to the party’s muktamar scheduled from April 29 to May 1 at Kota Sarang Semut in Kedah.
PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has said the cooperation with PKR will be discussed at the annual general assembly.
PAS has maintained its relationship with PKR although the Pakatan Rakyat coalition was terminated in June 2015. The party has remained firm in not cooperating with DAP and Amanah, which are part of the new Pakatan Harapan coalition with PKR.
Kuala Selangor PAS Youth chief Ahmad Hakimi Othman explained the wing’s resolution was based on three incidents involving PKR and PAS.
“Firstly, Malay-Muslim leaders of PKR have been cynical towards the move to uphold the dignity of the shariah courts and have shut their ears to explanations provided to them.
“Secondly, the Sungai Besar parliamentary by-election (in June 2016) saw clear betrayal (by PKR) of the principles of ‘tahaluf siyasi’ (political cooperation) practised by PAS and outlined by the PAS Ulama Council.
“Thirdly, the problem over water in Selangor and dispute with Splash (Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd) have still not been resolved,” he added, claiming that PAS had been dragged into the matter with the public having a crisis of confidence with the state’s actions.
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