Who is Saari Sungib to ask forgiveness for PAS, asks Dewan Ulama
(The Malaysian Insider) – PAS need not apologise for its actions in the Selangor menteri besar impasse as the Islamist party was correct in its conduct throughout the whole affair, said a top leader of its Muslim scholars wing.
PAS also did not need anyone apologising on its behalf, Dewan Ulama vice-chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said of Selangor PAS lawmaker Saari Sungib’s appeal to the public to “forgive PAS”.
“Who is Saari Sungib to ask the public to forgive PAS? Is he a party leader? No. He should not have done so,” Mahfodz told pro-Umno English daily The New Straits Times.
“He will get a backlash from that apology. Why should PAS ask for forgiveness for what we did?” the daily quoted him as saying.
Saari had attended a DAP fundraising dinner on October 4 and asked the crowd there to “forgive PAS” for breaking ranks with its Pakatan Rakyat allies PKR and DAP over the choice of a new menteri besar.
Saari was one of the two PAS assemblymen in the Selangor legislature who backed DAP and PKR in wanting to oust Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. For that, the two have been called traitors and may face disciplinary action with the possibility of getting axed from PAS.
“I know that some of you are still angry with PAS. So, I apologise on behalf of PAS for being late in making decisions when it came to the Selangor menteri besar,” Saari had said at the DAP dinner.
Saari and fellow PAS lawmaker Hasnul Baharuddin threw their lot in with DAP and PKR to support Khalid’s removal ahead of a decision by the PAS leadership.
PAS had only made its decision one week after 30 Selangor assembly members, including Saari and Hasnul, decided to back PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Khalid.
The PAS central committee then decided to go ahead with DAP and PKR’s decision, but party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang came out to say he disagreed with it.
Observers have blamed PAS’s inconsistent stand on who should replace Khalid as the reason the impasse had dragged on.
In his comments today, Mahfodz defended PAS’s actions as the party’s decisions had to be discussed carefully by its leadership.
PAS could not make rushed decisions on who should be the new Menteri Besar and had to take into account current political trends before arriving at a decision, he said.
“This is the correct decision by the party in light of the current political scenario,” Mahfodz told the New Straits Times.
Mahfodz said although the DAP considered Saari a “hero” for supporting Dr Wan Azizah, it did not give the latter the authority to make decisions on behalf of PAS.
“He maybe a hero to them but this does not give him the right to apologise on behalf of PAS,” Mahfodz was quoted as saying.
