INTERVIEW Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) has taken Abdul Hadi Awang to task for his reluctance to attend Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meetings, accusing the PAS president of having “lost interest” in his party allies.

 

Since the 13th general election in May 2013, Pakatan Rakyat leaders have yet to meet, with DAP - one of three parties in the opposition coalition - insisting on Hadi’s presence at the meetings, only to be given the cold shoulder.

 

Backing DAP on its stand, PasMa president Phahrolrazi Zawawi urged Hadi to attend Pakatan meetings.

 

“A party leader must attend meetings because only he can commit to decisions made together (with coalition partners), which a subordinate cannot do,” Phahrolrazi said in a frank interview with Malaysiakini in Alor Setar, Kedah, on Monday.

 

“Sending a subordinate or a representative delays the process of decision-making for Pakatan and this is problematic,” added the Pengkalan Kundor assemblyperson.

 

Hadi’s ( left ) relationship with his Pakatan allies fractured when he disagreed with PKR’s decision to field its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as candidate for Selangor menteri besar to replace Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

 

Phahrolrazi said this was one of the “misunderstandings” which could have been easily resolved if only Pakatan leaders had proper meetings.

 

He lamented that Pakatan has weakened since the last nationwide polls, saying that the coalition should be an organised, registered body so that it can fight elections under one single logo.

 

“Voters want to see that Pakatan exists on a strong footing with proper structure, with its leaders meeting frequently to discuss issues affecting the people,” he added.

 

Phahrolrazi said voters are eager to see what leadership Pakatan has to offer and the opposition coalition must be ready to name its candidate for prime minister and its cabinet line-up should it take Putrajaya.

 

“You cannot gain the people’s confidence by going to Putrajaya in your own personal styles and then have a power struggle later,” he said.

 

This is crucial given the possibility that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim could lose his Sodomy II appeal at the Federal Court, a decision which will be announced soon, consigning the opposition leader to another long prison term.

 

Pointless to meet Hadi

 

Such frank and direct criticisms of the PAS leadership, especially of the party’s role in the Selangor MB crisis, has led Hadi and top party leaders to being wary of PasMa.

 

Hadi has publicly dismissed PasMa as an “unknown species” while vice-president Husam Musa took pains to deny being ever involved in the NGO, which has repeatedly insisted that it has no plans to topple PAS.

 

While PasMa sought collaboration with DAP and PKR, Phahrolrazi felt it was pointless to meet Hadi as he has imposed a ban on PAS members from joining the NGO.

           

“I've met him several times when PAS was ruling Kedah, warned him that we would lose the state if the late menteri besar Azizan Abu Bakar continued his rule, but the president never took any action and we indeed lost Kedah," Phahrolrazi recalled.

 

Phahrolrazi ( right ), who was one of the Kedah leaders mooted to replace the ailing Azizan, had in 2012 declined to be re-appointed to the state cabinet in a rare protest against the then Kedah menteri besar. Nevertheless, the party decided to stick with Azizan and Phahrolrazi was persuaded to remain in the state executive council.

 

“Hadi has whacked PasMa before we could even meet him but if he wants to meet us, we are still willing to meet him,” Phahrolrazi said.

 

Meanwhile, Hadi is gearing up for the party elections in June, with various factions in PAS vying for leadership posts. Unlike other political parties, PAS holds its leadership elections every two years.                    

                                                                                               

The factions include members who insist on remaining in Pakatan, those who want PAS to go it alone to pursue its own agenda, while another group is considering working with arch-rival Umno, which is now ready to back Kelantan’s plan to implement the controversial hudud law.

 

Umno's support appear desirable for the party conservatives as DAP has vehemently rejected the idea of the Islamic criminal law as it is against the federal constitution and it is not accepted as part of Pakatan's common policy.

 

Potential leaders other than Hadi

 

Despite these, the general trend in PAS, noted Phahrolrazi, is still for PAS to remain in Pakatan.

 

He cautioned against trusting Umno too easily, questioning the dominant Malay party of its sincerity to implement hudud.

 

“To me, Umno is sinking. This (supporting hudud) is merely a strategy, their ultimate goal is to save the party, and they will do whatever it takes," Phahrolrazi quipped.

 

Hadi took over the helm of leadership in PAS in 2002 following the death of then party president and Pendang MP Fadzil Noor.

 

Having leading the party for 13 years, there are now talks about replacing Hadi but this remains a challenge as the president is strongly backed by the party’s religious scholars, an unelected group which forms a powerful faction in PAS.

 

“These scholars throw their support behind leaders based on sentiments and not facts, and other incumbents who still hold power usually have a stronger appeal among the delegates,” said Phahrolrazi.

 

“We do not see the president giving up his post yet, although there are potential leaders like PAS deputy chief Mohamad Sabu and vice-presidents Husam Musa and Salahuddin Ayub who can take his place,” he noted.

 

"But such discussions are good, it ensures that the party will always remain dynamic."

Part 1: PasMa issues Pakatan ultimatum to PAS