MUKTAMAR PAS has been sidelined by the Pakatan Rakyat government in Penang and is only consulted for show, the PAS Youth delegation was told.

"They give us a car, put us in the driver's seat but take away the steering wheel. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Penang delegate Mohd Raduan Ramli said to pin-drop silence.

Debating the Youth chief's address at the 54th Youth muktamar, he claimed that the state PAS has been invited to Pakatan meetings only three times since the 2008 general election.

"They made decisions and expected us to accede. This is a matter of dignity," he said.

Mohd Raduan was allowed extra time during the debate to explain the Penang situation.

His explanation of the Penang Pakatan fissure which grabbed headlines this week was met with an almost stunned silence, a stark contrast to the cries of “Allahuakbar” and laughter which peppered the debate session.

According to Mohd Raduan, Penang PAS had raised the matter with the central leadership, including at Youth wing level, before going to the press but to no avail.

“I urge the delegates not to make any media statements without learning about the real situation we face from us...

'Taking power from the crazy'

“This is not about being power-crazy, but taking power from the crazy,” he said.

PAS Youth later unanimously passed a motion to bring the matter forward during debates at the central Muktamar tomorrow.

Proposing the motion, Permatang Pauh delegate Mohd Shafirol Rozali gave six suggestions to solve the Penang conundrum, as agreed upon by all Penang PAS Youth divisions.

They include making it compulsory to hold state level Pakatan meetings at least once a month and for all political appointments of PAS members into state administration to be done with PAS input.

The motion was seconded by Jeli delegate Abdul Rahim Muhammad who also called for all seats in Kelantan at parliamentary and state level to be contested by PAS, owing to failure by other Pakatan parties in the last polls.

Also supporting the motion was Klang delegate Abdul Muiz Muhammad, who sought a clear ruling on when tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) is allowed and when it is breached.

East Malaysia sidelined

Meanwhile, Sarawak delegate Aizan Mohd Noor and Sabah delegate Haris Alimuddin lamented that PAS is too peninsula-centric, despite Sabah and Sarawak being key to Pakatan’s bid for Putrajaya.

Haris said that to win the general election, Pakatan needs to win at least half of the 31 seats in Sabah and Sarawak.

As it is, Aizan said, Sarawakians view PAS as an “extremist, Malaya” party, including among Muslims, and only focus and hard work will change this.

Among ways to strengthen PAS’ footing in the two states, he said, is to build more Pasti pre-schools which exist in abundance in the peninsula.

Other topics raised include the need for more systematic education and training (tarbiyah), and more intellectual debates to flesh out differences in ideas.

The delegates also talk about growing their influence outside the Muslim community through dakwah and better cooperation with the Supporters Wing.

This includes avoiding taking a hardline “fighting to our last drop of blood” approach when differing views arise.

“We bar non-Muslims from this or that, they can’t enter mosques, read the Quran or use the word ‘Allah’, so they get a murky view of Islam.

“And then we hit them with this last drop of blood argument. This is not Palestine that we need to talk of last drops of blood,” Malacca delegate Azizan Lim said.