Leave if you aren’t happy with Pakatan, Khalid Samad tells PAS members
Lee Shi-Ian, The Malaysian Insider
PAS members who want the Islamist party to leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) should leave the party, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said today.
Khalid (pic), who is a PAS central committee member, said if members felt that the party was better off without Pakatan, then they should leave and join Umno.
“Once these members leave, only then PAS will be able to become an effective member of Pakatan Rakyat,” Khalid told a press conference at his service centre in Shah Alam.
“Of course, within PAS, there are bound to be a difference of opinions and alternative views,” he said, admitting there was a faction within PAS who disagreed with PR.
“This is why I said, those who do not agree that PAS should not remain with PR should leave the party and go elsewhere.”
PAS’s role in Pakatan has been debated on numerous occasions, most recently during the Selangor menteri besar saga.
Some members have openly asked PAS leaders to review its cooperation with PKR and DAP, saying the Islamist party had compromised.
But, Khalid remains convinced that PAS can become an effective member of PR and also dismissed rumours that the party was eyeing the Selangor MB position.
“I want to reiterate that PAS is not going for the Selangor menteri besar position because the candidate must have the support of the majority,” Khalid said.
“There are many ways to determine who has the support of the majority, and this includes statutory declarations.”
He said PAS state assemblypersons Saari Sungib (Hulu Klang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) had played a pivotal role in the Selangor MB issue.
“The actions of Saari and Hasnul were important as it was a clear indication that Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim no longer enjoyed the majority support.”
“Despite all the criticisms against both men, there is no doubting the impact of their decision to back PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.”
