Deputy CM sees Penang PAS grouses a bid for more posts

(MM) – Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohd Rashid Hasnon (picture) today dismissed claims the state administration was sidelining PAS and suggested it was a bid by the Islamist party’s grassroots to use its ongoing conference to press for additional posts.

Rejecting claims made by delegates at the PAS muktamar in Shah Alam yesterday, Rashid insisted that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Penang administrations did not fail to consult the ally party when making appointments.

“They have new ideas where they want more positions such as wanting to appoint PAS members to sit in the village and security development committees (JKKK) in constituencies the party had contested in,” he said.

However, Rashid said this was not possible as it is not in the spirit of PR, before adding that this was a policy decided back in 2008.

PAS had contested in two parliamentary and six state seats but only won one state seat in the May 5 polls.

“We have never sidelined any party within the PR state government as the power distribution quotas were decided first in 2008 by all party – DAP, PKR, PAS – leaders,” Rashid said.

If anything, he believed that the recent grievances, first aired in the media by the Penang PAS deputy commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff earlier this week, then again in last night’s muktamar, were a result of feedback from the party’s grassroots.

“I believe they are just presenting what the grassroots are feeling to their own party leaders so that the leaders would heed their demands,” he told Malay Mail Online.

He explained that all the current state policies on appointments and the quotas were decided by PR leaders from all three allies so there should not be any issue with it.

“After all these years, some technicalities are bound to happen but I think it is more appropriate that we all sit down and iron out any issues through internal meetings rather than through the media,” he added.

He said these grievances that PAS had raised were not a big issue and does not signify a split within the PR state government.

“Maybe some parties may have new ideas or proposals to change the policies so they should bring it up through the proper channels and through their own leadership,” he added.

The PAS Penang chapter had suggested that a mechanism be put in place to ensure the Islamist party is consulted in any decision making and administrative appointments in Penang during a motion debated in yesterday’s conference.

Delegates from the ulama wing also alleged that the party was sidelined in the state administration.

Prior to that, Fauzi had in a press conference alleged the state government had meddled in the administration of Islamic affairs and also the appointment of the party’s representatives to state agencies and JKKK.

At the same time, he had also revealed that the state party liaison committee meeting last week had issued a number of resolutions to the state government that included a bigger quota of appointments in government-linked companies.

The other resolutions included giving the Penang Islamic Religious Council president Datuk Mohd Salleh Man (state PAS commissioner) full power to appoint individuals to the council, full power to appoint JKKK members and increasing the quota for PAS to four councillors from two in the Penang Island Municipal Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council.

He also reportedly threatened that all 70 party members holding important positions including the party’s sole state assemblyman in Penang Mohd Salleh would quit their posts if their demands are not looked into.

In the May 5 polls, PAS won only one state seat, Permatang Pasir, while its allies DAP and PKR won 19 and 10 seats respectively.

In response, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng brushed aside these allegations and merely said this matter will be discussed internally between the PR party leaders and not through the media.

He said Rashid and state executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim will set up meetings with Salleh to iron out any issues.

When contacted, Malik preferred not to comment further on this and said they will set a meeting with Salleh soon.

PKR MP Sim Tze Tzin noted that there are other ways to address this whole issue, such as through proper internal channels.

“It is especially important that all within PR should respect each other,” he said.

The Bayan Baru MP proposed that more state PR council meetings be held so that there are more avenues for any party to voice up and be heard.