Toe the line or quit, Sabah PAS rep told

Sabah PAS head Aliakbar Gulasan has been urged to step down as a state assemblyperson for attacking the prime minister's senior political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.

In a statement, Jamal Nerubi, the political secretary to Deputy Prime Minister I Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said Aliakbar (above) should use the proper channels to air his grievances, as he is a backbencher supporting the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan state government.

"As an appointed state assemblyperson, he has access to seek clarifications and explanations from Shamsul and the government.

"He should not be attacking or stoking religious sentiments in Sabah where people live in peace and harmony. (Aliakbar) does not reflect the spirit of the unity government," he said.

Aliakbar was appointed as a member of the Sabah assembly in 2020 by Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, who is allowed by the state constitution to make six such appointments.

It is not entirely clear if Aliakbar is still loyal to Hajiji since the Sabah state assembly has not held any bloc voting this year. The seating arrangement of the Sabah assembly does not demarcate between the backbenchers and the opposition.

The GRS coalition that Hajiji leads supports Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister and has admitted Harapan lawmakers into the Sabah government.

Thus, Sabah PAS is the only chapter of the party that has ties with Harapan on paper.

Aliakbar had criticised Shamsul during a speech in Keningau yesterday in which the latter criticised PAS for exploiting religious sentiments.

Aliakbar also said Shamsul had used a government platform for political purposes and violated one of the key tenets of the Madani concept.

"His speech violates the principle of 'respect' in the Madani concept. 'Respect' must not be mere rhetoric and must be realised in every action and speech by the government," Aliakbar said.

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