Mat Sabu leads PAS deputy president race
(The Malaysian Insider) – PAS central committee member Mohamad Sabu is leading in the race for the post of PAS deputy president, topping the nominations received by its incumbent Nasharudin Mat Isa over the weekend.
The former Kuala Kedah MP last tried for the PAS number two spot in 2009 but lost to Nasharudin.
PAS will hold its party polls during its 57th “muktamar” (annual general meeting) at Kolej Universiti Islam Zulkifli Muhammad, Taman Melewar, Gombak, early next month.
The deadline for nominations is May 15.
The Malaysian Insider understands Mohamad (picture), popularly called “Mat Sabu”, has already garnered 70 nominations out of the 130 divisions that have already met compared to Nasharudin, who has yet to get 40.
PAS has a total of 179 divisions nationwide.
Some 75 per cent of the total divisions have already held their meetings and carried out nominations as recent as last weekend, though some areas also did not nominate anyone.
But some political observers hold that the number of nominations does not necessarily reflect the direction of support and vote in the party election.
“The total nominations received by Mat Sabu are quite attractive, but as in the past years and in other parties, nominations do not necessarily translate into votes and the final support… or win of a candidate,” a political analyst, who did not want to be named, told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.
The source also did not deny that the nominations received by Mohamad reflect the current developments in the Islamist party.
“In the end, the representatives will consider the background of the ulamas and the professionals in deciding their support,” said the source who did not deny Mohamad is currently the most popular speaker among the senior PAS leaders.
Mohamad, who confirmed he would contest the party’s No. 2 position last week, refused to comment.
In the 2009 poll, he won only about 30 nominations.
