PAS men slam unrepentant Abdul Aziz
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider
PAS delegates slammed Dr Abdul Aziz Bari for criticising the party leadership but the UIA law professor remained unrepentant, arguing that his criticism was constructive.
Abdul Aziz courted controversy last month with an article published in Sinar Harian and stirred it further today when he asked why PAS members wanted to be close to Umno.
He had criticised the PAS leadership, which he saw aligned to president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, for allegedly pushing a merger with Umno.
The academic’s views formed the basis for PAS spiritual adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, to pursue an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in an attempt to cleanse the party of “problematic” leaders, but which was replaced with today’s seminar.
Delegates present from all over the country loudly denounced Abdul Aziz as an “Umno agent” for publicly raising the issue of a “unity government” once again.
They repeatedly pressed the constitutional expert to reveal his sources for the allegations, noting that Abdul Hadi had this morning stressed that PAS is committed to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) struggle to depose the ruling coalition and had shut the door on any more “unity” talks.
“Where did you get information to say that the president does not get along with Lim Kit Siang and Anwar Ibrahim?” a woman delegate asked, referring to the DAP and PKR leaders respectively.
The three opposition parties had joined forces after gaining major inroads among voters in the March 8 elections last year and had recently handed in their application to the Registrar of Societies to formalise their coalition.
Another delegate went further and called Abdul Aziz an “agent of the West” for forcing the concept of a two-party system on them.
The man, who did not identify himself, also likened the IIU don to an “agen nafsu”, which translates to a man with his own ulterior motives, for stirring up discord within PAS.
He received loud support from the floor, with cries of “Takbir!” and “Allahuakbar!”
Abdul Aziz took the verbal attacks in stride and explained that his criticism should be read constructively.
He added that he was only trying to stir the party’s imagination towards strengthening itself ahead of the next general election.
“Think for yourselves,” he advised.
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