All is not well in PAS

By admin-s Last updated Aug 19, 2014

The decision to nominate only Wan Azizah for the Selangor MB’s post shows that the party’s Anwarists have beaten its Islamists.

Roslan Bistamam, FMT

PAS’ confusing U-turn yesterday just hours after making its decision to propose two names as the replacement to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim signals that all is not well in the party.

What has been known for some time has finally come out into the open—that PAS is divided into two factions, the Anwarists and the Islamists.

The PAS council meeting earlier headed by party president Abdul Hadi Awang proposed two names—Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Azmin Ali.

Then, at the Pakatan Rakyat council meeting a few hours later where PAS was represented by its Anwarist deputy president, Mat Sabu, the party withdrew the second name and retained just one name, as DAP and PKR had been insisting on for the last couple of weeks.

The Anwarists very cleverly pulled a coup on the Islamists in the party and it appears that, if Wan Azizah does become the new Selangor Menteri Besar, the Anwarists have won.

Nik Aziz Nik Mat appears to be in the dark and has asked Hadi to meet him and explain why the party did this U-turn. It was agreed that the party would back Khalid Ibrahim and yesterday it violated its own decision.

The explanation is actually quite obvious. The Anwarists have taken control of the party and will no longer listen to the demands of the Islamists. It is time that people like Nik Aziz and Hadi pack their bags because from now on the Anwarists will decide what the party does.