Efforts are underway to persuade PAS deputy president Senator Hassan Shukri and deputy mursyidul am (spiritual advisor) Dr Haron Din to swap positions in the party's forthcoming muktamar (general assembly) in June.

A Selangor politician close to the PAS top leadership told malaysiakini that he has been approached by party leaders to persuade Hassan to trade places with Haron who is the hot favourite with grassroots leaders for the No 2 post.

"These efforts are serious and I know that a group of people representing all levels are working on it. They want me and a few others to have a quiet chat with Hassan and his men," said the businessman who declined to be named.

"The proposal was mooted because, although Haron is popular, he is very adamant about not contesting."

He said if the proposal is accepted by the two, it would create a win-win situation for everyone.

"God willing, this way everyone wins. The members get Haron as the party No 2, Haron will not have to contest while Hasan will continue to be among the key leaders in PAS," he added.

Not a problem

Meanwhile, Haron confirmed having heard about the moves being made.

"Yes I have heard of this. To me, the proposal is a personal attempt by those seeking a solution to their problems. Well, to them the present party line-up may be a problem. For me it's not a problem," he said when contacted.

"I have no problems as deputy mursyidul am because I did not contest for it. My appointment was made when there was a vacancy. It's the same with my other post as information chief. I did not take it from anyone."

The 65-year-old ulama (religious scholar) said that, while he respected each delegate's opinion on the leadership line-up, they cannot impose or force their views on Hassan or him.

"They must look at the individuals involved. If Hassan - as the incumbent - is comfortable where he is now, then it may be appropriate for him to continue in the post."

Haron said his no-contest policy - announced at the last party elections when he withdrew from contesting the No 2 post - still stands.

"For now I have no wish to get involved in a tussle for a post. So far the scenario in PAS has been very calm. Tidak ada perebutan dalam parti..dan tiada istilah perebutan dalam kamus saya. (There is no tussle for posts in the party and the word 'tussle' is not in my vocabulary)."

"For me, the best way is no contest. Rather than a contest, I prefer the status quo to remain."

However, Haron also said he does not view the efforts as negative, stating that it shows that PAS members at all levels place a high value on party unity and harmony.

"It shows that no matter how much politicking thrives is in PAS, its leaders and members will look for ways to ensure there is no friction among leaders. It is as if they themselves realise that contests should be avoided."

Meanwhile, a party worker expressed confidence that the 'swap proposal' would work as members and leaders have always been uncomfortable about the prospect of senior leaders losing elections.

"The 'save face' factor is very important for us. Ustaz Hassan ( photo ) is indeed unpopular due to his conservative political views...

"His statement on (former deputy premier) Anwar Ibrahim and the alleged mismanagement in Kohilal (the PAS-linked co-operative society, of which he was chairperson) has made things worse. But his loyalty to PAS cannot be denied and he has gone through so many hardships that I think this is a fair deal."

Allow contests

Meanwhile, an interesting debate is in progress as to whether or not the deputy president's post should be contested.

While the party has a practice of filling top posts by consensus, some no longer find this feasible. Members in PAS Kelana Jaya passed a resolution at their meeting last weekend, calling for all posts to be opened for contest.

The issue was also raised in Harakahdaily's (the online version of the party organ) latest short messaging service (SMS) polls where, to date, more than 60 percent of respondents indicated that they want to the deputy president's post to be contested.

A politician from Kuala Lumpur alleged that the current sentiment is Hassan's doing, as he had contested the No 2 post in 2003 despite the leaders' wish to choose a candidate by consensus.

"We all wanted Haron and were assured that he would not be challenged....but in the end Hassan refused to back down and went on to defeat (vice-president) Mustapha (Ali). In the end, the party suffered," he said.

He also said there is anxiety that any decision based on consensus would be greatly influenced by the conservative ulama who are known to have a soft spot for Hassan.

"This time around, we will try our best to ensure that the leader elected will represent our views and not the small circle up there in the party. With due respect to the leaders, we need to move forward. We need this to survive in the next general election," he added.