The ‘divorce proceedings’ of PKR and Pas

IN the build-up to the 63rd Pas annual general assembly (muktamar), which ended earlier this month, the Islamic party’s former Youth chief, Suhaizan Kayat, had cast serious doubt on the party’s will to sever its tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) with PKR.

The Parti Amanah Negara national organising secretary said he was not convinced that Pas’ Central Committee members and its Syura Council (Pas’ highest decision-making body) would have the guts to finally sign the “divorce papers” at the muktamar as they feared losing what he called “cash and power” in Selangor.

Suhaizan did not hold back when slamming Pas leaders for dragging their feet, despite calls by a majority of the party divisions prior to the muktamar. He was right. Pas did not decide on the matter despite all of its three wings — Ulama, Muslimat and Youth — unanimously voting in favour of severing ties with PKR.

Despite the overwhelming antiPKR sentiment, Pas election director Datuk Mustafa Ali, during his winding-up speech, reminded party delegates that the call should be evaluated delicately.

Mustafa presented previous general election results to prove that Pas did better in a coalition compared with fighting a lone battle, in front of the 1,200 delegates who were riled by fiery speeches during the muktamar.

Many political observers said they were not surprised that Pas did not make its stand on PKR at the muktamar, with some branding the assembly as nothing more than a staged drama.

However, five days after the muktamar, Pas announced that Mustafa had been dropped as the party election director to be replaced by Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s political secretary.

Five days later, the Syura Council announced that the party decided to end its tahaluf siyasi with PKR, affirming the sentiment of the muktamar.

It was the most anticipated news by Suhaizan and his comrades in PAN, but the battle is still far from over — they are demanding for the three Pas executive councillors in the PKRled Selangor government relinquish their posts, in line with the Syura Council’s decision to end ties with PKR.

Pas Selangor, however, is not showing any urgency to do so, on the grounds that Pas must stay on until the next general election “to prevent DAP from doing evil in Selangor”.

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