A PAS Youth working committee leader expressed dissatisfaction towards the party’s top leadership for the lack of financial help which has thwarted efforts to strengthen the wing.

Adram Musa, who is in charge of the economic portfolio, claimed that PAS leaders including parliamentarians and assemblypersons have been financially neglecting the wing’s initiatives.

“This has caused many of our programmes to suffer,” he said addressing some 200 delegates at the party’s 50th PAS Youth muktamar (general assembly) in Gombak this morning.

“What is the point of winning the elections if we do not get any benefits out of it. We hope our brothers who are state executive councillors will do their best to mend fences," said Adam.

pas youth muktamar 040609 03 “I'm sure that my brothers in Selangor would agree with me,” he said referring to PAS leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government.

Another delegate from Malacca, Kamaruddin Sidek claimed that many ‘mamak’ (Indian-Muslim) restaurants have been abusing Islam in order to promote their business.

He claimed that the restaurants do not even belong to Muslims.

“But we see the staff wearing kopiah (skull cap) but after we investigate, we found out that they were Hindus or Christians,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Johor delegate alleged that the party has turned its back on Islamic teachings with politics having become the main agenda.

Zuljilmi Mohd Rohani said the Islamic party has “forgotten about Islamic teachings”.

“What are we fighting for then? In the 90s, we talked about hudud law and Islamic seminars and this made many non-Muslims stay away from us,” he said.

And now that PAS has attracted a lot of non-Muslims, Zuljilmi said the party should focus on strengthening the relationship between non-Muslims and Muslims in the party.

Supporters club

Earlier, the Youth wing’s head of national unity Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil revealed that more than 18,500 youths have joined the PAS supporters club in Perak alone.

pas youth muktamar 040609 04 “The supporters club has attracted a lot of non-Muslim youths. Recently, an 18-year-old Indian boy joined the club in Kuala Langat,” he said.

However, he lamented that the party lacked the platform to set up the supporters club nationwide and stressed that the leadership should look into this seriously.

Yesterday, former PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said the party is contemplating on turning its supporters club into a wing similar to the youth and muslimat (women's) wings.

In a related development, more than 250 delegates cast their votes for the Youth working committee.

Among the 23 candidates, only 12 will be chosen to take charge of party portfolios. The results will be known tonight.

As for the Youth chief post Nasruddin Hassan had won uncontested. His deputy, Azman Shapawi, and vice-president Ahmad Sabki Yusof also won unopposed.