WHAT TYPE OF PRESIDENT DOES THIS! Malacca Pas chief slams Hadi for DUPING own central committee

Malacca PAS commissioner Adly Zahari today became the first senior PAS leader to publicly criticise his own party for overruling its central committee on its choice of Selangor menter besar candidates.

“I am aggrieved and sympathise with the PAS central committee which was sidelined in the decision concerning the Selangor menteri besar position,” he said in a statement today.

He said this in reference to the PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s office submitting the names of two PKR state assemblypersons and another from PAS to the palace as candidates for the office caught in high drama controversy.

Malaysiakini has learnt that PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy Azmin Ali’s names were omitted from the list even though the PAS central committee on Aug 17 had decided to back both of them for the top post.

The names submitted are Idris Ahmad, Yaakob Sapari and Iskandar Ab Samad.

Just hours before, the PAS president’s office had submitted only PAS candidates for menteri besar, but it was promptly retracted after opposition from the party's senior leaders.

This was despite the Islamic party’s repeated insistence that it did not intend to grab the menteri besar position from PKR.

Subsequently, the syura council, PAS’ highest decision-making body, admitted that it was responsible for overruling the party’s central committee and submitting its own names to the palace.

Adly warned the move threatens to erode PAS’ support.

“Malacca PAS feels the action... will cause the rakyat to lose trust in PAS.

“PAS’ image as a political movement which champions Islam will also be affected,” he said.

Nik Aziz backs PAS CC

Meanwhile, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat backed the party’s central committee.

According to Astro Awani, Nik Abdul Aziz said he did not want to interfere in the ongoing crisis but will support whatever decision made by the central committee.

This is despite the fact that he heads the party's syura council.

It is unclear if Nik Abdul Aziz had any part in overruling the central committee but because of his ailing health, the spiritual leader has often left the council’s decision-making to his lieutenants.

In a related development, Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi was non-committal when asked to respond to claims that the bid to install a menteri besar from the Islamic party will hurt its image.

“For me, the final decision we leave it to the sultan’s prerogative, I think whoever is chosen is tuanku’s choice,” he said.

Sallehen insisted that whoever is chosen must still get the consensus of all three parties in the coalition.

“If that does not happen (consensus), even if it is a PKR name, I think they will not get the confidence (support),” he said.

He also dismissed speculation that the ongoing crisis may spark the disintegration of Pakatan. -M'kini