The Terengganu PAS legal and human rights bureau (Luham) has criticised the party's central legal bureau leadership for what it claimed to be wrongful interpretation of the party constitution in its criticism of the party president and the syura council.

In a statement issued by the state bureau yesterday, the Terengganu Luham said the party constitution does not empower the central committee to interpret the constitution.

"The views aired by the central legal bureau leadership do not represent the state legal and human rights bureau," its chairperson Mohd Saifudin Othman said.

Yesterday, PAS-linked lawyer Wan Rohimi Wan Daud ( left ) criticised the national Luham for claiming it is the central body that had violated the party constitution and not the PAS president or the Ulama Council.

Wan Rohimi said it is Luham that had "breached the party constitution" with its open criticism of the council.

Luham was reported as saying on Tuesday that party president Abdul Hadi Awang and the syura council breached the party constitution by acting unilaterally in nominating PAS representatives for the post of Selangor menteri besar.

'Party constitution not highest law'

Saifudin said the party constitution is not the highest law in the party and that it cannot surpass the Holy Quran, sunnah (practises of the prophet), ijma (religious views of Islamic scholars) and qiyas (Islamic jurisprudence).

He explained that to ensure that PAS is in the right path of Islam, the syura council was formed to drive the party assembly and the other bodies.

The council, Saifudin added, is the supervisory body for all panels within PAS and is not a referral body in the party.

He also said that the party president is responsible as the leader of the administration and all all PAS activities for the purpose of fulfilling the party constitution.

Hence, Saifudin and the Terengganu Luham view the syura council and the party president to be empowered to make the decision on the appointment of the Selangor menteri besar, "in line with the powers given under the party constitution".

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