PAS central committee member Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki lashed out at an elderly man during a forum yesterday after the latter questioned PAS' direction.

"Thank you to the pakciks who asked questions, whose minds have been closed and reading material is Malaysiakini.

"I believe they have not come here with an open mind so there is no need to explain. His mind is rusty due to support to certain quarters," he said.

Mohd Zuhdi was speaking at a Sinar Harian forum titled "Manifesto determines voters support?'" in Shah Alam yesterday.

The elderly man had directed his question at Zuhdi, stating that he felt uncomfortable at the state of PAS recently.

"The latest incident is the PAS president (Abdul Hadi Awang) asking (Pakatan Harapan chairperson) Dr Mahathir Mohamad to set up a clinic.

"PAS isn't like that, at least the one that I know. I feel ashamed. The PAS I know educates people.

"This is coming from the PAS president. I have a legal qualification and a doctorate and I do not think a PAS president would speak like that," he said.

Hadi had suggested that Mahathir serve as a doctor at a 1Malaysia clinic instead of contesting the 14th general election after the 93-year-old was announced as Harapan's candidate for the Langkawi parliamentary seat.

Zuhdi shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the question was being asked and later rapped the man.

"I see that we have been sowed with the politics of hate. Even when discussing on manifestos we still need to talk about the politics of hate.

"There is politics of hate, nothing that we say will be accepted. That is a terrible example, pakcik has shown, even though you are already at an advanced age.

"I think setting a bad example to children and youths is not a good thing. I see when minds are closed, we will go nowhere.

"We will wait for May 9 and see who will win," he said.

Zuhdi was referring to the polling day for the 14th general election. Zuhdi has also been announced as the candidate for the parliamentary seat of Shah Alam.

Apart from BN and Harapan, PAS, which leads Gagasan Sejahtera, is another major party that will be joining the 14th general election.

Gagasan Sejahtera will contest in more than 160 parliamentary seats, the bulk of which will be by PAS, making it the party to single-handedly contest the most seats in the country.

Gagasan will also contest in most of the 505 state seats.