PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that victory of young leaders for several top party posts in the party election does not mean a total rejection of senior leaders.

He said that the election results merely showed the delegates' determination to ensure that PAS' second echelon leaders would be ready to lead the party when the time comes.

"The results do not mean that the senior leaders are totally rejected because looking at the margin of votes received (by the senior and younger leaders), (they) are not too glaring. I think that the delegates wanted to push the younger leaders and the second echelon leaders for the party," he told reporters in a press conference held after the muktamar .

He said that the senior leaders still have a place in the party, stating that they will be heading the various committees in the party to form the party's machineries.

Abdul Hadi also dismissed the view that the election results showed that members are more favourable to the liberals and professional leaders in the party.

"There are no factions or sects in the party. There are no conservatives, no protestant or liberal in the party. We have different approaches and thoughts and that's all."

He also denied that the absence of an ulama at the vice-president level showed a decline of the support for the Leadership by Ulama ( Kepimpinan Melalui Ulama ).

"The first two leaders the president and the deputy posts - are still filled by ulama. On top of that we have the Majlis Syura Ulama (Ulama consultative council the highest body in the party) to ensure that the party operates on the right track."

He said that he was generally satisfied with the polls outcome where the delegates had given mandate to young leaders to compliment the senior leaders currently on board.

As to the failure of Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, Abdul Hadi said that the results does not mean that the party rejects women leaders stating that PAS are more receptive to the women leaders.

"At least we had nominated a woman (for vice president). Even the Umno has not been able to do that. In PAS not only she was nominated, she also received quite a number of votes. So I believe women are accepted by us all."

The immediate task

Meanwhile, the newly elected PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa said that the re-imaging and re-branding of PAS will be the main agenda.

"I would try my best to change the hardline image that had been forced onto the party. It means changing the negative image that had been forced on the party as we have been accused on supporting terrorism and being extremist," he said in his first press conference as the new No 2 of PAS.

"Even the party president stated in his policy speech on the need for PAS to present itself to the Malaysians and not only to the Malays and the non-Muslims."

He said that although PAS had always portrayed itself as a moderate Islam-based party, outside forces seemed intent to put a negative image on the party.

"So this new team will try its best to change this. We are going down to the field to meet people irrespective of their race and religious background," he added.

Also present at the press conference was the new vice president Husam Musa who said that he would try his best to balance his duties as the state exco in Kelantan and PAS leader at the federal level.

To the view that he won the post due to the open support by PAS mursyidul am Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, he said the open backing was made only after two-third of the nomination process had lapsed.

"I was reluctant to take up the nominations because the responsibilities are great. But the support by divisions throughout the country had been so overwhelming that I had to concur with their views. By the time the statement (by Nik Aziz) was made to support me, I had received overwhelming nominations already," he added.