PAS says no to Zaid
(The Star) – Kota Baru PAS has refused to give way for Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to contest the Kota Baru parliamentary seat in the coming general election.
Its deputy head Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the division had reached a consensus that the parliamentary constituency and the three state seats within it would be contested only by PAS members.
“We will not give up the seats to anyone including our Pakatan Rakyat allies. The entire constituency belongs to PAS,” he said.
He said Zaid could contest the parliamentary seat as a Kita candidate without endorsement from Pakatan.
On Sunday, Zaid was reported as saying that he wanted to contest the Kota Baru parliamentary seat since it was his original constituency.
He hoped PAS would give way.
Takiyuddin said Zaid had embarked on a road show to promote himself as a suitable candidate for the constituency.
He claimed that Zaid was giving the impression that he was a PAS associate.
“I would like to clear the air. Zaid will not feature in our electoral plans.
“He has his own party,” Takiyuddin said.
He said Kelantan PAS had learnt a bitter lesson when it allowed Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali to contest the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election.
“After Ibrahim won, he severed his ties with PAS and went on to form the Malay rights group Perkasa, which proceeded to antagonise not only PAS, but many non-Malays in the country,” Takiyuddin said.
“We don’t want a repeat of this. Once bitten twice shy,” he said.
