Contest for PAS top post?
K Pragalath, FMT
PAS which would hold its party polls next month along with its 59th muktamar (annual general meeting) is likely to see the first contest for its presidency, in recent times.
Incumbent Hadi Awang has been party chief for a decade following the death of his predecessor, Fadzil Noor in 2003.
Padang Serai division chief Fauzi Tahir had announced via micro -blogging site, Twitter of his intention to contest for the top post in the Islamist party.
“I would like to test the members’ understanding of the party constitution,” he said on Twitter.
The party constitution does not state that the Islamist party must be led by an ulama. Ulama leadership within PAS was entrenched through the formation of the syura (consultative) council.
FMT was told that Fauzi’s intention to contest stemmed from the fact that Hadi was not listening to the ground sentiments in Kedah, which led to the party losing the state in the last general election.
PAS alongside its opposition coalition partners, DAP and PKR, has wrestled away Kedah from the Barisan Nasional at the 12th general election in 2008 but failed to hold on to the state at the last general election in May this year.
PAS’ Menteri Besar the late Azizan Abdul Razak was blamed for the defeat.
