Fliers hint at scandals among ‘pious elders’ at PAS assembly
Puppet of a monkey wearing a mullah-style turban also seen along a main road leading to the venue in Kedah.
ALOR SETAR: Participants of the 64th PAS muktamar (general assembly) were jolted this morning by the circulation of fliers that targeted three party leaders with hints of alleged unethical conduct and a sex scandal.
The A4-sized leaflets were distributed after they had been mysteriously inserted into copies of a Malay newspaper that was given away free to those attending the event at the Kedah PAS Complex in Kota Sarang Semut near here.
They featured images of two PAS office bearers with luxurious cars allegedly owned by them now, compared to their earlier vehicles.
The fliers also targeted a PAS central committee member over an alleged sex scandal, widely discussed in social media circles before.
“If you are smart, you will not be deluded by these pious elders of Act 355,” a text in the leaflet said, referring to the amendment to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act which PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has tabled in Parliament to enforce more severe shariah punishments.
Members of PAS’ security unit, the Unit Amal PAS, were later seen removing copies of the handout from the newspapers that had not yet been given away.
There were also other forms of anonymous propaganda and messages.
Someone had hung up the puppet of a monkey wearing a mullah-style turban on the side of a main road that led to the venue.
A banner calling on three PAS legislators in Kedah to resign was also seen strung up on Jalan Putra in Alor Setar.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party knew who was behind the “provocative” leaflets and the banner but refused to reveal any names.
Describing them as desperate acts, he said they did not make the slightest dent in the progress of the muktamar.
“This is the kind of thing that normally takes place during provocations,” he said. “We know who is involved in this.
“During a muktamar we should be busy with organising but it seems that there are other people who have also made themselves busy in putting up these posters.
“That is their desperate act in wanting to disrupt the progress of the muktamar.”
Takiyuddin did not discount the possibility that it could be part of a psychological warfare to influence the elections being held during the assembly.
“Our members have reacted calmly and have not become emotional.
“We accept this as a psychological attack from certain people who are trying to create an uncomfortable atmosphere, perhaps to also sway the elections.”
PAS deputy Youth chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin said the acts had shown that there were certain quarters that were envious of PAS’ might.
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“This is the act of people who are jealous of PAS,” he told FMT.