Former PAS deputy president Husam Musa has declared that he will never deviate from the Islamist party’s struggle.

Responding to a question at the ‘ Demo Tanya, Ambo Jawab ’ (You Ask, I Answer) dialogue session in Kota Baru today, the Salor assemblyperson said that no one has the right to order him to leave the party, including the PAS Dewan Ulama.

“Who are you, who am I? (Based on) my independent reasoning, I still choose to stay in this ‘ship’ (PAS) because the ship has not sunk.

“The Dewan Ulama PAS chief (Mahfodz Mohamed) is on the same level as I am. PAS is not owned by the Dewan Ulama, neither is it owned by me,” said Husam.

Mahfodz had recently said the party does not need any ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ and urged Husam to leave PAS and join Parti Amanah Negara, following his vocal criticisms of party president Abdul Hadi Awang.

In response to Mahfodz, Husam questioned why he should leave.

“What have I done wrong? Show me evidence of what I have done wrong based on the Quran, hadith (sayings of the prophet), ijmak (consensus of ulamak), and qiyas (analogy). That is how the Dewan Ulama should be thinking.

“He is now behaving like common people, like a gangster. Who are you? If he (Mahfodz) says ‘I am the Dewan Ulama chief’, I will say ‘I am the PAS Kubang Kerian division chief’,” stressed Husam.

He also pointed out that he heads one of the strongest divisions in Malaysia.

“I should be the one telling people to leave. I have contested in three state seats and one Parliamentary seat. Alhamdulillah, I won.

“When I contested a parliamentary seat, besides (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad), I was the Malay candidate with the highest majority of votes, so I should be the one asking him (Mahfodz) to leave,” he said.

At the dialogue session attended by around 2,000 people, Husam also reiterated that there is nothing wrong with his criticisms of PAS leaders.