PAS man warns of 'worse than BN' scenario

 

Those who felt otherwise, Saari Sungib warned, might resort to abuses after being elected.

 

"Meaning to say, we use democracy and elections but once we are in power, you oppress the people and become worse than BN.

 

"Anybody that challenge you, you create acts like the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act and the Sedition Act. That is the mentality that I am afraid of.

 

"This is the difference between leaders, members of PAS like us, and the so-called 'ulama' (clerics)," he told Malaysiakini when met at the sidelines of an event over the weekend.

 

The Hulu Kelang assemblyperson is facing the prospect of disciplinary action for defying his party and supporting PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail during the Selangor menteri besar crisis.

 

His action elicited a acerbic tongue-lashing from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who labelled Saari ( left ) as a “barua” or lackey during the party’s recent muktamar.

 

In the first part of the interview , Saari had highlighted how PAS was at a crossroads over “new and old thinking”.    

 

“There are some ulama who are dynamic in their thinking and embrace ideas of democracy and there are professionals who are very rigid, but of course this (latter group) is dominantly ulama and the other group is dominantly professionals and democrats," he said.

 

Chinese voter backlash

 

Saari also told Malaysiakini that PAS leaders must evolve into statesmen who can deal with differences of religion, opinion and other aspects.

 

He warned that following PAS’ handling of the menteri besar crisis, it might resurrect the situation in 1999, where the party failed to win a single seat in Selangor.

 

At the DAP dinner earlier, where he received a rousing welcome, Saari said he and his colleague Hasnul Baharuddin, the Morib representative who also backed Wan Azizah, might be heralded as heroes but the same cannot be said for the remaining 13 other PAS representatives.

 

"For the 13 others, they have been declared by NGOs and activists, particularly among the Chinese community, as traitors.

 

"They have taken note of their names and party logo, and if these people and this logo contest in the next general election, they will not support.

 

"The movement is very serious," he said.

 

Saari added that PAS might only garner 30 to 40 percent of Chinese votes in Selangor as opposed to 70 to 80 percent in the last general election.

 

Coupled with the drop in Malay support due to the negative perception, he warned that PAS might lose numerous seats in the state.

 

Nonetheless, Saari said he would remain loyal to PAS and is prepared to face the consequences of his action.

 

He also expressed hope that the erroneous perception among certain quarters in PAS of him  being a turncoat for standing with Pakatan Rakyat would be corrected.

 

Saari and Hasnul had acted as tie-breakers by siding with the 28 PKR and DAP state assemblypersons in the 56-member state assembly to support Wan Azizah for the menteri besar post.

 

The PAS president, who was opposed to Wan Azizah, had submitted candidates from within the party amid speculation of a PAS-Umno unity government.

 

The Selangor palace eventually appointed PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as a compromise.