Kota Baru PAS set to name Hadi’s challenger

(The Star) – Kota Baru PAS is expected to name a candidate to challenge party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for the No. 1 post in the upcoming party elections, a local news portal reports.

All party divisions kicked off their annual general meetings Saturday and according to the report, the Kota Baru division has already picked its candidate.

Saturday’s meeting will decide if the candidate is accepted by all members in the division.

On Tuesday, a senior PAS leader predicted that president’s post would be contested in the upcoming party elections.

He said he expected more than one candidate to challenge Hadi if he decides to defend his post.

Judging from the mood on the ground, there could be several nominations for the top post, said the leader who requested anonymity.

PAS secretary-general later Mustafa Ali’s later predicted that the No. 1 post would be uncontested because there was no capable leader in the party to take on Hadi, who has the backing of the ulama faction.

Hadi has not been challenged since he took over as acting president following the death of Datuk Fadzil Noor in 2002.