The convention went on without much criticism of the leadership. Still, the strained ties between the party and Umno remained a curious yet hushed matter among delegates, as both parties prepare to square off at the Melaka state elections.
Hadi has pledged to support Perikatan Nasional in the polls, while his deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, gave life to the party’s Muafakat Nasional pact with Umno.
The 650 delegates attending the assembly at a resort overlooking the Terengganu drawbridge steered clear of hot button topics, especially whether PAS can expect genuine cooperation from Umno, at a time the party is forgoing its “moon” symbol for the Perikatan Nasional banner in the elections.
No questions were raised about whether the current perceived animosity with Umno would carry on until the next 15th general election. However, grassroot members watching from afar questioned the PAS ties with PN and Bersatu, not Umno.
“There is confusion among the central leadership, with most trying to destroy Muafakat Nasional. This is what is happening to PAS now. To justify things by saying Umno was stubborn in their ways, PAS leaders at the top should show proof, not make baseless claims,” said Azmi Jaafar, a life PAS member from Penang.
He said in reality, PAS grassroots wanted the party to choose a credible political ally, such as Umno.
“The two big political parties are now PAS and Umno. Bersatu has no grassroots support, hence it is making use of PAS to its benefit. At the same time, they are killing Muafakat Nasional by doing this,” he said.
However, not everyone agrees that Umno is a better partner.
“Umno seems more eager to monopolise property and power. They are willing to betray a friend. But we remain committed to what the president decides,” said an Ipoh Barat delegate Aziz Abdullah, speaking to FMT.
The PAS decision to contest under the PN banner was never brought up at the muktamar.
Kota Bahru PAS Youth chief, Muhammad Abdul Malik Abdul Karim admits that there is “confusion at the grassroots level for example in using the PN logo.
“But what was explained by the president was practical and we should remain open-minded about it,” he said.
In their debates at the convention, party leaders such as Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim portrayed themselves as peacemakers between Umno and its splinter Bersatu, even though the issue was moot because the rivalry between Umno and Bersatu has been growing, and PAS has yet to bring peace.
To worsen matters came the PAS decision to use the PN logo when contesting eight seats in Melaka.
However, the delegates at the muktamar remain firmly behind the president’s stance on using the PN logo and to contest against Umno.
PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari made a rallying call in asking delegates to leave it to Hadi’s wisdom over the hullaballoo concerning Umno and Bersatu. “This is not a time for (deciphering) riddles, we have a leader, and he determines the direction of the party,” he said.
Hadi has led the party since 2002, with he and his team receiving the full backing of delegates in this year’s muktamar to face the next general election as part of the ruling coalition.
Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim held their presidency and deputy presidency intact as it was not contested.
Hadi’s son, Muhammad Khalil, received the highest number of votes, earning him a seat in the party’s central leadership. However, the son of the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz, Nik Mohamad Abduh, failed to defend his seat as committee member.
While detractors have fingered PAS for being less active in speaking out on issues related to Islam, such as gambling curbs, delegates spared the leaders from such criticism.
“We are now part of the ruling government, and you cannot assume the party leaders are not doing their jobs, thinking in the old opposition mindset. We have protested and so on back then, but now we can discuss them directly with the government,” Muhammad said.