‘Our chances not ruined by redelineation’

Hadi: PAS is strong and will triumph again with young voters

We cannot question God’s plans and must trust His wisdom. There is a reason things are made to be what they are. Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang

KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS is not perturbed by the recent redelineation, which it believes will not ruin the party’s chances of winning in the general election.

Its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the party was strong and banking on young voters, 30% of whom would be first-time voters.

“Our survey has shown that the odds are in our favour,” he said.

He hailed the influence and power of the youth at the 1999 general election when the Islamist party triumphed by clinching 28 out of the 32 state seats in Terengganu.

“I won’t be surprised to see this wave happening again,” he said at the closing of PAS’ Dialog Rakyat where the party presented its plans for Terengganu should it form the next state government.

Abdul Hadi currently holds the Marang parliamentary and Rhu Rendang state seats in Terengganu.

Barisan Nasional has governed Terengganu until the dramatic 1999 loss to PAS, but recaptured it in 2004 and has held it since.

The coalition has 17 seats in the 32-seat state assembly. PAS holds 14 seats and PKR, one.

Separately, when asked to comment on Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin’s reference to himself as God in Parliament, Abdul Hadi said Muslims should venerate the name of God.

“We cannot question God’s plans and must trust His wisdom. There is a reason things are made to be what they are,” he said.

On Thursday, Parti Amanah Negara’s Hanipa exclaimed that if he were God, he would not have created Umno’s Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Rahim as they debated the Anti-Fake News Bill.

Abdul Azeez retorted by asking the Almighty to forgive Hanipa’s “sin”, which prompted PAS’ Kuala Nerus MP Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali to say that Hanipa should withdraw his statement and not use God’s name lightly.