The new PAS leadership would be better at protesting Selena Gomez's concert than taking on the federal ruling coalition, mocked Parti Amanah Negara's Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin.

"When I look at the new PAS cabinet, I'm sorry to say, I do not see a cabinet that can steer PAS in the 14th general election.

"When I see the new PAS cabinet, it seems more suitable for protesting against Selena Gomez's concert and not for fighting BN in the 14th general election - that is, if they even want to fight BN," he said in a Facebook posting today.

Specifically, Hanipa commented on the move to replace PAS veteran Mustafa Ali with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's political secretary Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, which he described as a loss to PAS.

"My friends and I in Amanah know of Mustafa's capabilities compared to the political secretary of the PAS president.

"Sorry to say, it's like heaven and earth," said Hanipa, who was a PAS member and is now part of Amanah, a splinter party of PAS.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim yesterday denied that Mustafa was being sidelined, insisting that the latter was only giving opportunities to new people.

The replacement of the PAS election director comes slightly more than a year before the general election is due.

Apart from Mustafa's replacement with a close ally of Abdul Hadi, similar moves were also observed in the new Selangor PAS lineup with Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir, another close ally of Hadi's, taking over as Selangor PAS election director.

Selangor senior exco Iskandar Samad was also replaced by Sallehen Mukhyi as Selangor PAS commissioner.

Selangor DAP committee member Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof views the shakeup in the state as an attempt by Abdul Hadi to consolidate his power.

"To my mind, Abdul Hadi is learning from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak by changing all those below with people who is loyal to him.

"In the current situation, loyalty to Abdul Hadi trumps all else," he told Malaysiakini.

He added that it would appear that Abdul Hadi did not trust a number of Selangor PAS leaders.