The Kota Raja PAS Youth Movement (DPPKR) today questioned the move by the party last Saturday, which had been used as a platform to urge PAS voters to vote for the BN candidate in the by-election for the Sungai Kandis state seat this Saturday.

Its deputy head, Mohd Najib Arshad, said the gist of the speech had openly been made by several party leaders at the Selangor state and federal level at Himpunan Kebangkitan Ummah (Rise of the Ummah) rally, which appeared not to be in line with the official statement by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan regarding the by-election on July 22.

He said he also felt that the call contradicted the spirit of the PAS Constitution, Clause 82(g) which states that all PAS members including the leadership should refrain from committing any action that goes against or is detrimental to the party's interest.

“The DPPKR is of the view that the decision was political in nature, and thus had ignored the powers of the Syura Council and the powers of the muktamar, where the motion should have been debated and a consensus should have been reached.

"A directive shouldn’t have immediately been issued like it was that night.

“The DPPKR also feels that the move would negate the role of the Gagasan Sejahtera, which was the measure adopted by PAS in the 14th general election recently,” he said in a statement.

“The DPPKR has no intention whatsoever of rejecting the decision of the PAS central leadership, what more to dispute the call or directive of the central leadership by not fielding a PAS candidate in the Sungai Kandis by-election,” he said.

In the by-election, Lokman Noor will be challenged by PKR candidate Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, who is also the principal of Maahad Tahfiz Al Fateh Jalan Kebun, and independent candidate K Murthy.

The by-election for the Sungai Kandis state seat is the first by-election to be held after the GE14 following the death of incumbent assemblyman, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on July 2 due to cancer.

In the GE14, Shuhaimi defended the state seat for the third term consecutively after garnering 23,998 votes to beat BN candidate, Kamaruzzaman Johari (11,518); PAS candidate, Mohd Yusof Abdullah (7,573) and (PRM candidate Hanafiah Husin (76).

- Bernama