PAS’ Pasir Mas MP Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz defended his decision not to stand in protest against the 2016 Budget after it was tabled in Parliament last Friday.

According to the PAS Youth chief, he is in constant protestation against the BN government, no matter what he is doing.

“I protest BN while sitting, while standing and even while lying down.

“I need not be with or the same as anyone in my struggle against traitors. I only need to be with Allah and the people,” Nik Abduh said in a Facebook post.

'Panadol budget'

He said he chose to sit instead of standing like the other opposition MPs, because BN MPs across the room from him had stood up holding up the budget reports in support of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who tabled the budget.

“So I sat down in protest of this ‘Panadol budget’ which will never succeed,” he added.

Nik Abduh was forced to provide an explanation after many asked why he was not seen joining other opposition MPs, who protested against the budget by standing up and holding placards reading ‘Where is RM2.6 billion?’

Several PAS MPs were also seen not doing so, while PAS Research Centre director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki said MPs who did so behaved “worse than children” .

Among PAS MPs who did hold up the placards were Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar.

PAS has repeatedly said it is not joining new opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, the successor to Pakatan Rakyat, which came to an end after the PAS-DAP feud over hudud.

PKR and PAS remain allies, with opposition leader and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail still hopeful that PAS will join Pakatan Harapan.

Pakatan Harapan is made up of PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), a PAS splinter party.