Pas info chief taken aback by Dr M’s claim

CHUKAI: Pas has labelled Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement on his meeting with Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as “politically manipulative”.

Pas information chief Nasrudin Hassan said he was told that the meeting between Hadi and the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman revolved only around issues of state administration, petrol royalty and the Economic Action Council.

Nasrudin said he was taken aback by Dr Mahathir’s claim. However, he said, he did not have any information on Dr Mahathir’s claims.

“I asked the president (Hadi) on this and he said it was nothing. The meeting took place just like what he described last night (at the Chinese New Year celebration in Alor Limbat),” he said after attending the Ijtimak Siber programme, which was attended by Hadi, yesterday.

He said, from a leader’s perspective, there was nothing wrong as among those who went to the ground to support the Barisan Nasional candidate in Semenyih were Pas vice-president Idris Ahmad, secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and central Pas secretary Razman Zakaria.

“At the nomination proceedings, we gave our full support to the BN candidate, in line with our role as part of the opposition.”

He said the meeting between Dr Mahathir and Hadi was attended by Takiyuddin.

“So I don’t know how he (Dr Mahathir) can make such a claim, seeing that the Pas leadership was not informed of this matter.

“Whether I have to seek an explanation or deem Dr Mahathir’s statement as politically manipulative, who knows.

“But I am taken aback by the claim.”