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PAS Syura Council decision a non-event as it is completely overshadowed by latest developments in PAS where the two top PAS leaders have become Najib’s strongest defenders

The decision of the PAS Syura Council endorsing the PAS Muktamar resolution last month for PAS to sever ties with DAP is a non-event, as almost all Malaysians know that Pakatan Rakyat had been killed by the new PAS leadership at the PAS Muktamar more than a month ago on June 3.

I had said at the time that with Pakatan Rakyat dead after the PAS Muktamar resolution, what was left to be done were the funeral rites for Pakatan Rakyat.

I must admit that I had not expected that it would take more than a month for the final funeral rites for Pakatan Rakyat to be completed.

The PAS Syura Council decision is a non-event as it has been completely overshadowed by the latest developments under the new PAS leadership, with the two top PAS leaders emerging as the strongest defenders of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at a time when Najib’s leadership is being increasingly questioned and challenged even in internal Umno circles because of the Prime Minister’s inability to establish his innocence and integrity in the face of unprecedented scandals like the 1MDB scandal. Continue reading “PAS Syura Council decision a non-event as it is completely overshadowed by latest developments in PAS where the two top PAS leaders have become Najib’s strongest defenders”

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After ‘failed’ PAS, Mat Sabu says new party will be Malaysia’s Islamic Renaissance ‘beacon’

by Kamles Kumar
Malay Mail Online
July 11, 2015

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — PAS’s ousted progressives plan to muscle their way ahead of the Islamist party back to the forefront of Malaysian politics with a new party one leader has described as a “beacon” of the Islamic Renaissance movement both locally and to the world.

The leader – Mohamad Sabu, who is more popularly known as Mat Sabu – said the current PAS leadership has deviated from the party’s original Islamic ideals, become corrupted by material wealth and lost its way.

The new yet-to-be-named movement of “new hope” or Gerakan Harapan Baru as it is referred to, will pick up the slack for the Islamist party, the former PAS deputy president said.

Speaking to Malay Mail Online in an interview yesterday, Mat Sabu said what he wants is to reunite “akidah” (creed) with “akhlak” (morals), both of which he said have been separated from one another due to corruption and materialism.

“If this new party is just to replace Umno or PAS, I don’t agree. But we must introduce that akidah and akhlak must go together in this party.

“Our akidah and akhlak is separated already. Now my struggle is I want to combine both of these back,” Mat Sabu said. Continue reading “After ‘failed’ PAS, Mat Sabu says new party will be Malaysia’s Islamic Renaissance ‘beacon’”

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New Islamist party has higher purpose than hudud, says Mujahid

Looi Sue-Chern
The Malaysian Insider
11 July 2015

The new political party being mulled by a group of “purged” progressive PAS leaders will take the position that Islam is bigger than just the Islamic penal code or hudud.

Former PAS central committee member Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said Islam instructed its believers to preserve the greater peace, instead of bulldozing laws.

“This was why the late spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat put hudud on hold. He understood this very well. He knew that the issue had not been settled.

“Is hudud everything? It is just a criminal law,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an interview at his office in Parit Buntar. Continue reading “New Islamist party has higher purpose than hudud, says Mujahid”

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Door for PAS still open, says Kit Siang

By Kow Gah Chie and Adrian Wong | 8:31AM Jul 7, 2015
Malaysiakini

INTERVIEW While DAP may have repeatedly proclaimed that Pakatan Rakyat is “dead”, the party does not rule out the possibility of teaming up with PAS in the future.

Asked whether DAP and PAS would form an alliance, for their fourth time, in the next general election, veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said it was a possibility.
Continue reading “Door for PAS still open, says Kit Siang”

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Bekas setiausaha agung PKR dedah Anwar dihina ketika krisis Selangor

Thd Malaysian Insider
9 July 2015

Bekas setiausaha agung PKR Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail mendedahkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dikasari individu dipercayai presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang ketika mahu membincangkan kemelut menteri besar Selangor tahun lalu.

Walaupun tidak menyatakan identiti Hadi secara langsung, Saifuddin mengimbas peristiwa ketika dirinya menemani ketua umum PKR berjumpa dengan individu terbabit untuk mengadakan perbincangan.

“Masih ingat saat aku menemani Datuk Seri Anwar berjumpa dengannya. Bagaimana Datuk Seri Anwar diaibkan dengan bahasa yang cukup kasar,” katanya dalam status Facebook hari ini.‎

Perbincangan itu dipercayai merujuk kepada ‎pertemuan singkat Anwar dengan Hadi di Terengganu untuk menukar jawatan menteri besar Selangor yang ketika itu disandang Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Continue reading “Bekas setiausaha agung PKR dedah Anwar dihina ketika krisis Selangor”

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Parti baharu sangat dinantikan

A Shukur Harun
The Malaysian Insider
7 July 2015

Pelbagai pihak, khususnya generasi muda, sedang menunggu-nunggu akan kelahiran parti baharu – Gerakan Harapan Baharu – yang dirancang diumumkan selepas hari raya ini.

Ini menunjukkan sebuah parti baharu yang mampu memberikan harapan masa depan kepada rakyat Malaysia sangat diharapkan. Iaitu ketika rakyat melihat dengan sangat bimbang pelbagai krisis yang menimpa negara yang tidak dapat diselesaikan oleh parti pemerintah, di tengah-tengah Pakatan Rakyat (PR) sendiri juga tidak habis-habisnya berkrisis.

Parti Gerakan Harapan Baharu ini dirancang penubuhannya oleh golongan progresif dan sederhana yang disingkirkan dengan penuh hina dalam muktamar PAS bulan Jun lalu.

Penubuhan parti ini juga untuk meneruskan legasi perjuangan Allahyarham Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor dan Allahyarham Tuan Guru Nik Abd Aziz Nik Mat yang sangat terbuka dan demokratik serta berpandangan jauh ke depan. Continue reading “Parti baharu sangat dinantikan”

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‘Move towards new, progressive Islamist party’

Hafiz Yatim and Yap Jia Hee
Malaysiakini
Jul 1, 2015

INTERVIEW Following the uncertainty plaguing the future of PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, the son of a former party president hopes the PAS offshoot that is being mooted will accept Muslims and non-Muslims as members – as long as they support the Islamic cause and are allowed to vote in the new party.

Faiz Fadzil, 38, son of the late Fadzil Noor, who was PAS president from 1989 to 2002, voiced this in light of the fact that there has been no sign of any acknowledgement for the progressives in the party who were defeated in the 61st PAS Muktamar at the beginning of June.

“The new party’s struggle and policy must still be Islam and it should also be pragmatic, progressive and inclusive for all races. There is no compulsion to embrace Islam but individuals, namely non-Muslims, who see the goodness of Islam can join (the new party).

“As I have said, Islam is comprehensive religion and we should see it in the context of administration, justice, good governance and the welfare of the citizens and not merely hudud.

“As for members, it should be open to all Muslims and non-Muslims who support the Islamic struggle This is unlike the current PAS, where they only have the party supporters’ wing, which is not an open membership.

“The new party, I hope, will open its membership to non-Muslims, who should also be allowed to vote,” Faiz told Malaysiakini in an interview last week. Continue reading “‘Move towards new, progressive Islamist party’”

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Khalid warns PAS’ growing trend of exclusiveness

Malaysiakini
Jun 30, 2015

PAS will be seen as theocratic and autocratic if it continues to be exclusive by recruiting members only from among religious studies graduates, warned Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

In his latest blog posted today, the professional faction leader cautioned the growing trend of exclusiveness, which rejects non-ulama members.

He said this contradicted with the teachings and attitude of late spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who emphasised the cooperation of ulama and professionals in the party.

Such exclusive attitude will cause the community to stay away from the Islamic party, Khalid cautioned.

As a consequence, PAS will fail in its duty as a political party, which should be open and act fairly to all parties, he added. Continue reading “Khalid warns PAS’ growing trend of exclusiveness”

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PAS now a ‘closed group’, says Faiz Fadzil

By Hafiz Yatim and Yap Jia Hee
Malaysiakini
Jun 30, 2015

INTERVIEW Although the struggle of PAS is still centred around Islam, the party now has deviated from what was envisioned by its late president Fadzil Noor.

Faiz Fadzil, the fifth child of Fadzil – who passed away suddenly in 2002 – said the openness advocated by his father has resulted in the party entering the mainstream of politics in the country.

“Now PAS is backward, closed. I believe my father, if he was here, would not be happy.

“I remember the statement of my late father during the PAS muktamar of 2000 or 2001. He said PAS had to be open and cooperate with other political parties as we cannot do it alone.

“By doing this, it would not put PAS outside the orbit of the Islamic struggle but we should not narrow Islam to only focus on hudud,” Faiz said in an interview with Malaysiakini last week.

The strategy adopted by PAS now, following the election of the conservative ulama group as party leaders, has taken the party backwards, to where it was in the 1970s and 1980s, Faiz, 38, said.

PAS was now ‘a closed group’ following the muktamar and the party elections held early this month. Continue reading “PAS now a ‘closed group’, says Faiz Fadzil”

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PAS is past. Masa untuk PR2.0

– Riesya H.
The Malaysian Insider
29 June 2015

Ditakdirkan negara kita dijajah Belanda (dan bukan British), dan sistem pilihan raya kita semacam sistem di Indonesia, negara kita ini bukan lagi milik Umno/Barisan Nasional. Tetapi sudah menjadi milik rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat (dengan undi popular 5.6 juta), jauh meninggalkan BN (Cuma 5.2juta). Congak mudahnya, BN Cuma layak menerima 105 kerusi. Selebihnya adalah kerusi milik rakyat. PR.

Tapi, apakan daya. Kata P.Ramlee, “cubaaan!!”

Perlu direkodkan, dari 5.6juta undi PR, sejumlah 1.8juta adalah undi pemula. Orang yang pertama kali mengundi PR. Orang yang mempertaruhkan harapan demi masa depan yang baru. Orang yang teruja dengan slogan “ini kali lah”. Continue reading “PAS is past. Masa untuk PR2.0”

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‘Conservatives reverting PAS to a kampung party’

Malaysiakini
Jun 29, 2015

The “narrow minded” in PAS today have undone all the hard work undertaken by former party president Fadzil Noor to raise the status of the party from its provincial roots.

So said PAS leader Khalid Samad on his blog today, in a lament that alleged conservative elements are destroying efforts to make the party inclusive and relevant to the national political and Islamic scene.

“Unfortunately, the attitude of openness that was shown by the late Fadzil Noor isn’t being perpetuated by the narrow minded.

“Allegations of ‘infiltration’ (by external parties), ‘wanting to grab power’ and ‘grand design’ are often mentioned by those who disagree with (Fadzil’s) approach,” said Khalid, who is Shah Alam MP.

Relating the achievements of Fadzil and how the latter built up the party by engaging with and through the help of outside parties such as Islamic NGOs and civil society, Khalid said the latest developments in the party were steps backwards.

“Today this narrow-minded attitude has regained control of most of the leadership of PAS, as it had been before the days of Fadzil. Continue reading “‘Conservatives reverting PAS to a kampung party’”

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Which is in worse shape: BN or opposition?

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
26 June 2015

Although it is a long way to the next general election, the current developments we are seeing will, in my opinion, be decisive in shaping the outcome and winner of the next elections. Firstly, we have seen a lot of adverse publicity given the break up of opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat.

Pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) observers and also some disillusioned opposition supporters are claiming this is dealing a death blow to the opposition’s election hopes. But is this so? I beg to differ from them.

What is happening to the Pakatan is actually a blessing in disguise for them. In fact, it is a big blessing. This is because if we look at the political configuration closely, it is not that the opposition coalition is breaking up. It is the hard line faction of Pas that is splitting from the rest of the Pakatan. This faction wants to chart a future for the country based on Islamic law and a more rigid Islamic state. But can they succeed?

Well, despite the conservative candidates sweeping all the leadership positions in the recent Pas elections, deep down I am sure that they realise that they represent only a minority of the Malay Muslim population. My reading is that the majority of Muslims do not want a more fundamentalist Islamic society. They may have concerns about some aspects of modern life and western values. But even the less educated among them know what has been happening in fundamentalist Islamic nations. Continue reading “Which is in worse shape: BN or opposition?”

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Ayah sokong parti baharu jika masih hidup, kata anak Fadzil Noor

The Malaysian Insider
23 June 2015

Anak kepada bekas presiden PAS, Muhammad Faiz Fadzil yakin jika bapanya Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor masih hidup, beliau akan menyokong parti baharu yang sedang dalam proses pembentukan.

Faiz mengulas video Youtube yang disebarkan di laman sosial bagi menunjukkan Fadzil akan menentang penubuhan parti baharu sekiranya masih hidup.

“Anda mungkin tak setuju dengan saya, tapi saya percaya Ustaz Fadzil Noor (UFN) pasti menyokong parti baharu yang didokongi oleh pemimpin yang dilahirkannya yang banyak berjasa kepada karier perjuangannya,” tulis Faiz dalam laman Facebooknya hari ini.

“Parti baharu adalah meneruskan perjuangan UFN walau berlainan.” Continue reading “Ayah sokong parti baharu jika masih hidup, kata anak Fadzil Noor”

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Demi hudud, kepimpinan Kelantan bakal bertukar tangan?

– Riesya H.
The Malaysian Insider
22 June 2015

Isu hudud nampaknya belum reda.

Terkini, dengan terburainya Pakatan Rakyat, boleh lah dianggap isu hudud berjaya memainkan peranannya. Peranan untuk memporak porandakan PR.

Di zaman teknologi facebook dan whatsup hari ini, saya ingin kongsikan secebis nota menarik yang dipanjangkan kepada saya, berbunyi begini;

“I, like many Malaysians, may have underestimated Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a politician. He may have committed a lot of economic and public relation blunders. But he has managed to kill PR. Tricking PAS into believing that Umno will support hudud, Najib has cause a major rift between PAS and their PR allies, which then caused a crisis within PAS. Now that he has accomplished what he wanted, he pulled his support from hudud.
With one stroke, najib has managed to kill PR and put PAS in the ECU. He may have assured Umno’s rule for another 2-3 terms. And for that, he should be named one of Malaysia’s best politician. He took over the helm when Umno was at its worst. He didn’t try to make things right with Umno, but he destroyed the opposition.
Great game Najib.”

Itu lah yang menjadi persepsi dan gambaran rakyat marhaen semacam saya yang kerdil ini. Continue reading “Demi hudud, kepimpinan Kelantan bakal bertukar tangan?”

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Pakatan Rakyat crisis might have come earlier if PR had won majority of seats in 13 GE as Hadi had never accepted Anwar as PR candidate for Prime Minister

In response to media query, I want to stress that I do not want to be involved in polemcis with the PAS President, Hadi Awang who claimed that Pakatan Rakyat is not dead yet and that the coalition still exists.

The PAS Muktamar resolution cutting ties with DAP is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back as for a year Pakatan Rakyat had existed in name but not in fact, because Hadi had violated the two basic and bedrock Pakatan Rakyat principles, the PR Common Policy Framework and the consensus operational principle that the agreement of all three PR component parties are needed for any PR motion to be made and that no single leader has the veto power to override the decisions of the PR Leadership Council.

Hadi not only violated the PR Common Policy Framework but acted in utter disregard of the PR consensus operational principle as if he could override decisions taken by the PR Leadership Council in the same way he had no qualms about overriding decisions taken by the PAS Central Working Committee.

In fact, the Pakatan Rakyat crisis might have come even earlier if Pakatan Rakyat had been successful in winning the majority of the parliamentary seats in the 13GE two years ago as Hadi had never accepted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the PR candidate to be Prime Minister of Malaysia.

With such a background, I find it astounding that Hadi could now claim that Pakatan Rakyat is not dead, when the PR Secretariat had for the past year find it almost impossible to fix a meeting when the PAS President could attend. Continue reading “Pakatan Rakyat crisis might have come earlier if PR had won majority of seats in 13 GE as Hadi had never accepted Anwar as PR candidate for Prime Minister”

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Let us move on and keep faith with the hopes of Malaysians for change in the 13GE to ensure that although there is no more Pakatan Rakyat, the PR Common Policy Framework of national unity, justice and prosperity of Malaysians must remain achievable goals in 14GE

Yesterday, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang claimed that Pakatan Rakyat is not dead yet and that the coalition still exists.

This is in contrast to the statement to The Malaysian Insider by the Dewan Ulama Chief and Johor PAS Commissioner Datuk Dr. Mahfodz Mohamed who said yesterday that he does not regret the PAS Muktamar motion to cut ties with DAP, even though it led to the dissolution of Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Mahfodz Mohamed said they were aware of the repercussions when passing the emergency motion during the ulama wing’s congress on June 3, which was subsequently adopted by the 61st PAS Muktamar without debate.

He said:

“To me, there is no turning back, there is no U-turn, because all this while we had been patient in the face of everything PKR and DAP did to PAS. We never responded rudely.

“But when we did that during the congress, we knew there would be no U-turn. We had thought it through, and we knew the consequences of our actions.”

Continue reading “Let us move on and keep faith with the hopes of Malaysians for change in the 13GE to ensure that although there is no more Pakatan Rakyat, the PR Common Policy Framework of national unity, justice and prosperity of Malaysians must remain achievable goals in 14GE”

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A crushed Mat Sabu warns PAS of slide into authoritarianism

by Looi Sue-Chern
The Malaysian Insider
20 June 2015

In the final part of our interview with Mohamad Sabu, one of PAS’s most popular leaders, he tells The Malaysian Insider that he is worried with the thinking among leaders in the Islamist party, warning it can be dangerous for the country.

PAS has begun to follow a “dangerous” trend where the focus is on punishing those who disagree with Islamic leadership, one of the party’s ousted “progressives”, Mohamad Sabu said.

The former deputy president, popularly known as Mat Sabu, who lost in recent party elections said this tendency in the practice of Islam today had started in the Middle East, and PAS has jumped on the bandwagon of “takfiri” (Muslims accusing other Muslims of apostasy) when faced with those who disagreed with them.

“You disagree with us, then you are not with us. You are an infidel, a liberal, a ‘munafiq’ (a hypocrite who outwardly practises Islam while inwardly concealing his disbelief).

“This is happening in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Somalia, Algeria and Pakistan. It is very dangerous and students, who studied in the Middle East, have brought it home with them,” he said in an interview with The Malaysian Insider.

Mat Sabu also drew out larger implications for Malaysia if this way of thinking continued. Continue reading “A crushed Mat Sabu warns PAS of slide into authoritarianism”

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PAS will never get back non-Muslim support, says Mat Sabu

by Looi Sue-Chern
The Malaysian Insider
19 June 2015

Mohamad Sabu is one of PAS’s most popular leaders, outside his party and among non-Muslims, that is. Internally, the party booted him out at the recent elections where he failed to defend the deputy president’s post. In the first of a two-part interview, Mat Sabu, as he is popularly known, mourns the passing of an Islamist party that enjoyed the support of non-Muslims for a period and fears it may never regain that trust.

Even if he is voted back into the PAS leadership, the Islamist party will never regain its non-Muslim support, said former deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

Better known as Mat Sabu and popular with the non-Muslim crowd, he also told of how hard he had to work to persuade PAS grassroots members to go out and rally with non-Muslims in earlier demonstrations led by electoral reform group Bersih.

Mat Sabu painted a bleak future for the only opposition party with a religious ideology that had contributed to the death of Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

He said there was now no remedy which could fix the situation for PAS to get back its non-Muslim support.

“Non-Muslims are disappointed and broken-hearted by the whole situation.

“Furthermore, PAS is now led by personalities from the east coast who rarely come into contact with Malaysians of other races and faiths,” he told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “PAS will never get back non-Muslim support, says Mat Sabu”

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No cause for dejection or despondency over the death of PR – there must instead be greater resolve and commitment to pursue the inclusive Malaysian Dream of unity, justice, dignity and prosperity for all Malaysians through a new political realignment

(Scroll down for English text)

Tidak perlu bersedih dan putus di atas kematian Pakatan Rakyat – sepatutnya harus ada ketetapan yang lebih kuat serta komitmen untuk terus memburu Impian Malaysia yang inklusif ke arah perpaduan, keadilan, maruah dan kemakmuran buat semua rakyat Malaysia melalui susunan politik yang baru

Nampaknya ramai yang kecewa dengan kematian Pakatan Rakyat, namun ini bukan alasan untuk merasa sedih dan kecewa di saat sepatutnya wujud ketetapan yang lebih kuat serta komitmen untuk terus memburu Impian Malaysia yang inklusif ke arah perpaduan, keadilan, maruah dan kemakmuran buat semua rakyat Malaysia menjelang pilihanraya umum ke-14.

Meskipun perjuangan politik tujuh tahun Pakatan Rakyat telah berakhir ekoran pelanggaran-pelanggaran serius terhadap Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat oleh PAS, kita percaya bahawa impian dan visi ke arah Malaysia baru yang memiliki perpaduan nasional, persefahaman antara kaum dan agama, serta rasa hormat, keadilan, akauntabiliti, urus tadbir yang baik, menamatkan rasuah dan salahguna kuasa, memelihara maruah, mempunyai sistem pendidikan, kesihatan, perumahan, pengangkutan yang baik serta persekitaran yang selamat untuk semua rakyat Malaysia harus menjadi objektif utama bagi PRU ke-14.

Atas tujuan ini, DAP akan bekerjasama dengan parti-parti politik dan kuasa-kuasa politik yang sependapat, demi membawa muafakat politik baru yang komited terhadap prinsip-prinsip tersebut dan wawasan Impian Malaysia.

Kami di DAP tidak akan bekerjasama dengan pimpinan PAS yang telah mencabul Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat, tetapi bersedia bekerjasama dengan kuasa-kuasa politik dan rakyat Malaysia yang komited terhadap Dasar Bersama tersebut, termasuklah ahli-ahli PAS di pelbagai peringkat yang tidak menolak dan mengabaikan Dasar Bersama tersebut. Continue reading “No cause for dejection or despondency over the death of PR – there must instead be greater resolve and commitment to pursue the inclusive Malaysian Dream of unity, justice, dignity and prosperity for all Malaysians through a new political realignment”

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Mat Sabu: Seperti ada ‘pembersihan etnik’ PAS

Susan Loone
Malaysiakini
17 Jun 2015

Bekas timbalan presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu berkata masa depan politiknya masih belum jelas selepas berasa “dihalau” dalam muktamar ke-61 di Kuala Selangor minggu lalu.

Katanya, keadaan di muktamar itu seperti “pembersihan etnik’ pemimpin profesional dan pro-Pakatan Rakyat yang bertanding dalam pemilihan jawatan pusat PAS.

Mohamad dan kumpulannya kalah teruk dalam pemilihan setiap dua tahun itu kepada kumpulan proulama yang mendukung kepimpinan Presiden Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Mohamad, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu, berkata akan membuat keputusan berhubung masa depannya dalam PAS selepas hari raya Aidilfitri pada pertengahan Julai nanti.

Beliau akan mendapatkan pandangan penyokong dan akar umbi PAS terlebih dahulu sepanjang Ramadan ini, yang bermula esok, sebelum membuat sebarang keputusan.

Mohamad juga berkata perbincangan akan mengambil kira bagaimana kumpulan profesional dapat menyumbang sesuatu untuk perubahan, dan ia termasuk kemungkinan membentuk parti baru. Continue reading “Mat Sabu: Seperti ada ‘pembersihan etnik’ PAS”