I need to rest, says PAS president

(The Star) – Questions regarding PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s (pic) absence from Pakatan Rakyat meetings of late have finally been answered, after he admitted that he had been unwell lately.

“My health has not been very good of late. Even speaking is difficult,” he told Harakahdaily when met in Parliament on Tuesday.

The party’s news organ reported that Hadi looked frail and could not speak for more than 10 minutes when debating the 2015 Budget in the morning.

His condition had deteriorated to the point that he was no longer able to hold as many ceramah at night as before.

“Even tonight there are no programmes. I need to rest,” he was quoted as saying.

During a visit to Turkey in May, the PAS president was admitted to a hospital after suffering from breathing difficulties, and several PAS insiders say he has not been the same since.

He was forced to recuperate in the hospital there for more than a month, and has not been as active since then.

Hadi’s absence from Pakatan supreme council meetings had previously been attributed to his disagreement with PKR and DAP over the removal of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Mentri Besar and the choice of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace him.

In recent months, the party’s relationship with its coalition partners had also been strained after Hadi went against Pakatan’s decision to nominate Dr Wan Azizah as Selangor MB, fielding a list of his own candidates for the post.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng issued a series of statements recently urging the PAS leader to attend the council meetings.

He questioned whether matters agreed by the PAS representative at these meetings were indeed final or still pending a possible veto by Hadi.