The movement to topple PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang by certain groups in the party was detected from 1998.     

PAS research centre chief operation officer Mohd Zuhdi Marzuk ( below ), who disclosed this, said PAS became so open in 1998, and this resulted in the entries of many groups who subsequently formed factions in PAS.     

"There was no team culture in PAS prior to 1998 but it emerged after that and it is now becoming cancerous," he told reporters after becoming a panelist on 'Academic Discourse: PAS: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow' at Pengkalan Chepa in Kota Baharu, last night.    

Asked on PAS' action to solve the issue, Mohd Zuhdi believed that the groups (not mentioning the names of the groups and those involved) would eventually leave PAS to form a new party.    

"I am confident after the 2015 PAS general assembly, two groups would emerge, whereby one would break away from PAS and form a new party, a solution which will bring back harmony in PAS," he said.     

On other challenges being faced by PAS, he said PAS was currently facing the true face of DAP, its partner in the opposition pact, especially in opposing the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.     

"We (PAS) must face the challenge with an open mind and we still see there is room to strengthen our ties with DAP and PKR, but with the hope that DAP and PKR understand the chronology in the formation of the Malaysian society and nation," he added.    

Zuhdi is perhaps best known for his remarks during the Selangor menteri besar crisis last year where a leaked message had him proposing for PAS to join hands with Umno to retake the Selangor government.

- Bernama