PAS’ newly minted spiritual leader Haron Din has stepped out of line in calling for Abdul Hadi Awang’s party presidency to be maintained, said PAS central committee member Mohamed Hanipa Maidin.

 

While stressing that he still respects Haron, Hanipa said the endorsement is a bad start in his new post as spiritual leader because it is not in line with the party’s constitution.

 

“Upon taking over as spiritual leader, he started off in a different way from (his predecessor) Nik Aziz by making a statement that the PAS president must be maintained.

 

“For me, this should not come from the spiritual leader replacing Nik Aziz, and I don’t think such things was ever done by Nik Aziz,” he told a forum organised by Malaysiakini last night.

 

Yesterday, the online edition of Sinar Harian quoted Haron saying that PAS members need to maintain their loyalty to the incumbent president Abdul Hadi, but stressed that this is only his personal opinion.

 

He questioned whether PAS is prepared to change for a new president and pointed out that so far, only Kota Bharu PAS branch has nominated a challenger for the post, although Haron maintained that it is still the right of each PAS division name their presidential candidates.

 

“Perhaps those members have their own views and attitudes. We will wait and see whether there are other divisions that want the president to be replaced,” he was quoted saying.

 

Haron was named the new PAS spiritual leader just two days ago, after Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat passed away on Feb 12.

 

‘No issue of disrespect’

 

Meanwhile, Hanipa said his objections to Haron’s statement stems from the fact that the party constitution does not bar any challenge to the president’s post.

 

The issue of disrespecting or opposing the president by nominating a challenger also does not arise, he said, because it is within the PAS members’ right.

 

“It is not that I don’t respect Haron. I respect him for his knowledge and so on. But we should also respect those who had drafted the PAS constitution,” he concluded.