More support for Khalid as Selangor PAS Youth stands by president
(Malay Mail Online) – The youth wing of Selangor PAS pledged its support today for party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s endorsement of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to stay on as Selangor mentri besar.
According to a statement by the wing, all 22 of its divisions in the state have unanimously decided to endorse Hadi’s backing of the beleaguered mentri besar amid calls to step down from PKR and DAP.
“Selangor PAS Youth would like to express our gratitude to Allah and appreciation towards PAS leadership including the spiritual adviser, president, ulama wing and others for their attention in detangling this messy problem,” said the state wing’s chief Syarhan Humaizi Abd Halim (pic).
Syarhan also likened the situation to the historic Battle of Badr, which happened during Ramadan in the 6th century, where a smaller Muslim forces defeated the Quraish tribe three-times larger its size thanks to supposedly divine intervention.
“Hopefully, by passing this test, PAS will progress following the real methodologies of Islamic struggle,” he added.
He also urged other parties to endorse the decision to keep Khalid in power, which, apart from Hadi, has also earned the blessings of the party’s powerful Ulama council and several key PAS leaders, including Datuk Nik Abd Aziz Nik Mat, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Abd Samad.
The divisions which endorsed Hadi were listed as Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Puchong, Selayang, Gombak, Ampang, Pandan, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Sepang, Serdang, Petaling Jaya Selatan, Petaling Jaya Utara, Kelana Jaya, Klang, Kapar, Shah Alam, Subang and Kota Raja.
Some senior PAS leaders have made it clear that they want Khalid to remain as MB, and will not entertain PKR’s nominee Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace him in the position.
But Hadi’s declaration preempts a joint announcement scheduled for after Hari Raya when the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council will say whether it is agreeable to Dr Wan Azizah’s nomination.
The open dissent is set to pit PAS against its PR allies DAP and PKR, who are both reportedly in agreement to remove Khalid, even as ties among the three remain strained by the Islamist party’s ambitions for hudud, the Islamic penal code.
Hadi’s deputy, Mohamad Sabu, has taken a different stance from his party president, however, saying yesterday that the former’s views on Khalid were merely personal in nature.
However, Nik Aziz earlier today backed Hadi, while issuing a reminder to all members that Hadi is the “captain” of PAS and should be obeyed and not be made a victim of mutiny.
