As the pro-reform group in PAS starts mobilising ahead of the party election in June, they have found themselves under increasing attacks from the powerful conservative faction, primarily consisting of religious scholars, often referred to as ulamas.

 

Already, several attempts have been made to discredit reform-minded PAS leaders in what appeared to be a coordinated attack on them, with leaked internal communications being used to accuse them of disloyalty to party president Abdul Hadi Awang.

 

These under-siege leaders, including PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and PAS election director Hatta Ramli, have chosen to remain silent, lest they be seen as opposing the ulama leadership which has been touted since the 1980s.

 

However, the pro-reform leaders, which influence in the party remains to be seen, have found a champion in the form of PAS veteran Ahmad Awang, an ulama himself.

 

The former Perak PAS chief, who was instrumental in bringing the state’s Pakatan Rakyat coalition together, took aim at last Saturday’s conference of Islamic scholars, dubbed ‘Multaqa Ulama’.

 

Ahmad lamented the “mega” gathering of ulamas in PAS had again raised the off-repeated claim of Islam being compromised if PAS remained in Pakatan.

 

He also criticised the gathering for “adding fuel to fire” with wild claims that PAS had been infiltrated by those who advocate secular liberalism.

 

“It is unfortunate, if it is true, that the focus of ulamas who were gathered from across the country is to demonise and discredit certain leaders and to prop up their own group.

 

“Such narrow politicking is unbecoming of ulamas, what more is quoting Al-Quran and hadith verses out of context,” he said.

 

The ulamas had passed 16 resolutions at its multaqa, which among others include demanded action against PAS central committee members who allegedly want to unseat Hadi and to stop those who “insulted” the ulama group.

 

Ahmad said instead of advocating for change, the gathering had played along with arch-rival Umno’s theme of “Malay unity”.

 

“Have the ulamas in PAS lost focus and are incapable for leading change for justice and a welfare state?” he said, adding that he was disappointed, especially after having sat on the PAS syura council for over a decade.

 

Possible challenger to Hadi?

 

Ahmad argued that the party’s religious scholars cannot claim leadership simply by virtue of being an ulama.

 

“Leadership is not about saying that ‘I am an ulama’, but is earned and won by fighting alongside the rakyat...,” he said, adding that they should not demand blind loyalty from party members.

 

Even though a religious scholar himself, Ahmad has been increasingly critical of his own group as moderates in PAS come under attack.

 

Unlike his party colleagues who do not have formal Islamic qualification and are often branded anti-ulama when they criticise the conservative group, Ahmad is less likely to suffer similar attacks.

 

Some observers see Ahmad ( right ) as a possible challenger to Hadi for the president’s post when party polls are held this year.

 

Several PAS leaders have grown increasingly disillusioned with Hadi as he adopts a hardline approach, causing the party to drift away from Pakatan partners, PKR and DAP.

 

The creation of Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa), comprising dissenting PAS members, is a byproduct of unhappiness over Hadi’s unilateral decisions during the Selangor menteri besar crisis.

 

Hadi however received support of the unelected syura council in vetoing the PAS central committee, significantly reducing the executive power of the party’s traditional decision-making body.

 

While PasMa has denied wanting to replace PAS as a political party, it is being used as a platform for dissidents to organise themselves ahead of the party elections in June.

 

While most reform-minded PAS leaders are reluctant to publicly endorse PasMa and risk becoming targets by the conservative faction, many are privately backing the movement.

 

The PAS syura council has banned members from joining the PasMa, but many party members who are active in the NGO have yet to face any disciplinary action.