PAS undecided on fate of three reps

Syura Council to decide what to do with trio who attended Parti Amanah convention

We have better candidates to replace Mahfuz in Pokok Sena.

Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah

ALOR SETAR: While PAS will not field Datuk Mahfuz Omar in the next general election, the party is undecided on the fate of its other three elected representatives who attended the Parti Amanah Negara national convention.

Kedah PAS commissioner Dr Ahmad Fakhrudin Sheikh Fakhrurazi said the Syura Council, the Islamist party’s highest decisionmaking body, would decide on them.

Besides Mahfuz, who is the Pokok Sena MP, Anak Bukit assemblyman Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah, Kubang Rotan assemblyman Mohd Nasir Mustafa and Batu Burok assemblyman Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi were also at the opening of the convention on Saturday.

All four are from Kedah. Amanah is a splinter party of PAS born out of an internal struggle two years ago.

On Saturday, Kedah PAS deputy commissioner Mohammad Sanusi Md Noor said that Mahfuz would be dropped as a candidate in the next general election due to his close rapport with Amanah.

PAS vicepresident Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said in Kota Baru yesterday that those who defied the party’s orders would be dropped as candidates.

He said that the party would not waste time taking disciplinary action against “small fries” who kept acting against the interests of the party.

“We have better candidates to replace Mahfuz in Pokok Sena,” said the Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar.

Fellow vicepresident Idris Ahmad said the party had given clear orders to members not to have ties with Amanah and DAP.

“Those who acted against the interests of the party should bear the consequences,” he added.

Mahfuz, reacting to the party’s decision not to field him, remained defiant, saying he would have rejected any offer by PAS to contest anyway.

“I want to say thank you to them. Even if PAS were to nominate me, I would not accept it as it will be seen as a betrayal,” he said.

Mahfuz first won the Pokok Sena seat in 1999 before losing it in 2004. He regained the seat in 2008 and won again in 2013.

The firebrand MP has been estranged from the party after he lent support to Pakatan Harapan, from which PAS has disassociated itself.

Asked if he would consider contesting under an Amanah ticket, Mahfuz said the issue “does not arise today”.

Amanah information chief Khalid Samad said it had been widely expected that Mahfuz would be dropped as a candidate by PAS.

“I suppose that Mahfuz no longer fits the kind of candidate profile they want.

“He doesn’t think like them anymore,” Khalid said, adding that Mahfuz was welcome to join Amanah.