Embattled Selangor exco member Hasan Ali today demanded evidence from PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali to back the allegations that he has been trapped by Umno’s agenda.

Describing Mustafa’s allegations as “arrogant” and “playing with the fire of slander”, Hasan wanted Mustafa to furnish facts on two allegation as soon as possible.

1. That he has been trapped by Umno;

2. That he has been entangled in Umno’s agenda to weaken PAS.

NONE “As one of the senior-most leaders in the party, Mustafa ( right ) seems to have spontaneously given such a negative view containing evil elements against me,” he said during a press conference at his house in Kuala Lumpur today.

He further slammed Mustafa for “using the authority of his post as secretary-general to talk nonsense and lose his direction, until he willing to play with the fire of slander and put himself at a low level in term of wisdom and the ability to control his emotions”.

The former Selangor PAS commissioner vehemently denied that he was disappointed at not being re-appointed as the state chief, saying that he had several times asked the party president to relieve him from the post during his eight-year tenure.

On the allegation that he was working towards uniting PAS with Umno, Hasan warned Mustafa not to wash his own dirty linen in public.

“I never mentioned the merger of Umno and PAS. Mustafa was also involved in the meeting with Umno leaders... I have a sixth sense that tells me not to touch on this issue. I hope Mustafa also have the same sixth sense.”

saari sungip Hasan also demanded that the party leadership take disciplinary action against Selangor PAS information chief Saari Sungib ( left ), whom he claimed had created the whole controversy.

“He was the one who sowed the seeds of disunity among party members and supporters.

“Comparing (my statement) with Saari’s premature statement on my nomination, which action is more damaging? What is happening today is created by his statement,” he claimed.

He was referring to the statement made earlier this month by Saari, the Hulu Kelang state assemblyperson, that he has not received sufficient nominations from local branches to defend the Gombak Setia state seat.

Therefore he urged Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman to “not just look at Hasan Ali but look at yourself and your information chief”.

'Probe nomination process'

He also demanded an investigation into the nomination process and the final number of nominations received by him to dispel any speculation.

NONE Hasan also hit out at PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar ( right ), who had said that he can join Umno if he wishes to.

“I think such a statement can only be made by people who are bankrupt of ideas and clearly do not follow the outcome of a certain issue,” he said, reiterating that he will not quit PAS.

“I would like to stress to the members and supporters of PAS that I am not the one that created this polemic, instead it was a result of the Selangor PAS information chief’s statement which was made at the wrong time and wrong place about my nomination,” he added.

During the one-hour press conference, Hasan claimed he had received overwhelming support from the public as well as party leaders including ulama wing chief Harun Taib and Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan, while spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has shown a “neutral” stance against him.

“Last night when I was walking outside, people came to greet me and even kissed me. The elders kissed me, not the women,” he said jokingly.

He rebutted Mustafa’s allegation that he was lobbying other party leaders to quit the party, and said instead he was seeking the advice of two academician including Abdul Aziz Hanafi.

“How can you prohibit me from seeing people?” he queried.

NONE Hasan explained that his continual absence from the state liaison committee meeting was because he did not receive a letter appointing him as a state committee member, and the subsequent letter shown by the state leadership was dated September and not June when his tenure supposed to begin.

He also dismissed the allegation that he has failed to utilise internal channels to solve the dispute, claiming that Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman ( left ) had cancelled an appointment with him to discuss the issue without giving reasons.

“Everybody is talking to the media including Rani, he appeared in the media more frequently than me... Why was only Hasan reprimanded when he spoke out?”

Selangor PAS leadership defends Saari

Meanwhile, during another press conference held simultaneously by Selangor Pakatan Rakyat at Shah Alam, the Selangor PAS leadership defended Saari.

“Saari was just clarifying to reporters that Hasan was dropped. He was not doing something that was wrong. It is not final yet so why make an issue out of it.

“Everyone in Gombak Setia knows (that Hasan was dropped), the reporter could have got the information from anybody and confronted Saari and get an explanation,” said deputy commissioner Khalid Samad.

This was echoed by Rani who said: “I don’t think so (that Saari did wrong). We have to hear the full explanation of Saari, he was cornered by journalists but the decision is up to the central body”.

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