As Penang PAS leaders hailed the appointment of Mohamad Sabu as the new state PAS commissioner, they are also hoping that he will address the party's rocky ties with its Pakatan Rakyat partners in the ruling coalition.

State deputy commissioner Mohammad Fauzi Yusof said he was certain the PAS central leadership had decided on Mohamad, who popularly known as Mat Sabu, because of his "strong influence and good relationship" with the party's Pakatan allies in Penang.

NONE Mat Sabu is known to have good personal ties with DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"We will meet Mat Sabu to highlight our demands and we are confident he can help resolve the issues now that he is the new state PAS commissioner," Fauzi told Malaysiakini .

Asked if former state head Salleh Man had failed in his task, Fauzi said that this should not be said of the Permatang Pasir assemblyperson - PAS' sole elected representative in Penang.

"Salleh contributed whatever he could during his time. It is time now to let someone else take over. We will give our full cooperation to Mat Sabu," Fauzi said.

NONE Last month, Fauzi ( left )and several local PAS leaders complained about the state government interfering in the party's appointment of its candidates to state agencies and government-linked companies.

At a press conference in Seberang Jaya, Fauzi and his team threatened to quit their government posts and to push for a review of PAS' position in Pakatan if the situation is not resolved

Salleh, who is also Penang Islanic Affairs Council president, was not at the meeting.

Salleh told Malaysiakini last Friday that he was set to quit as state PAS commissioner as he had been holding the post for eight years, the longest by any PAS leader in the country.

PAS 'marginalised' in Penang

PAS Bayan Baru division chief Iszuree Ibrahim said he hoped that Mat Sabu, who is also the party's deputy president, would focus on strengthening the weak bargaining position of PAS within the Pakatan coalition in Penang. PAS has only one seat in the state against DAP, 19, and PKR, 10.

Iszuree said he felt, in a way, PAS had been rather "marginalised" in Penang, especially since there has been no council meeting till now among the Pakatan allies in the state since the May 5 general election.

"As PAS deputy president and now as the Penang state commissioner, we hope Mat Sabu can address these issues or the state PAS members will continue to be troubled," he added.

NONE Nevertheless, Iszuree ( left ) welcomed Mat Sabu's appointment, announced by the top PAS leadership yesterday, stressing "we need someone who has a good relationship" with the other Pakatan leaders.

On recent allegations by the home minister that Mat Sabu was involved in Shiite activities, Iszuree said that the accusations were "wild and weak".

"We support Mat Sabu in taking legal action against Umno vice-president and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. This will make his position stronger as our leader in Penang," he said.

Meanwhile, state PAS Youth secretary Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden called on all party members in the state to respect the decision to pick Mat Sabu as the new Penang head.

"We feel that the decision to appoint Mat Sabu is the best by our top leaders," said Afnan, who was also one of those who attended the Seberang Jaya press conference.

Afnan said the change in leadership would take the party and its members in Penang to a higher level of maturity.

"It will heighten our spirit and resolve to struggle for justice and to defend the rakyat's right as demanded of us by Allah."