Hadi will listen to constituents before supporting Permatang Pauh candidate

(The Rakyat Post) – PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said he would  listen to the constituents of Permatang Pauh first before deciding whom to endorse at the upcoming by-election on May 7.

Questioned by an audience during a dialogue session organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian, Abdul Hadi initially refused to answer the question.

“The ones who are asking are not voting in Permatang Pauh, so I will not answer the question,” he said.

However, when met by reporters at the end of the dialogue session, Abdul Hadi stressed that he respected the people of Permatang Pauh.

“We are still in Pakatan Rakyat, but on Permatang Pauh, I respect the people there.

“I cannot just breeze through the media channels (to endorse the candidate), I would have to listen from the people in Permatang Pauh.”

Despite that assessment, the Marang MP said no matter the circumstances, PAS would maintain strong political ties with its allies in Pakatan Rakyat, PKR and DAP.

Hadi had said that he was committed to preserving the Islamic party’s ties in Pakatan Rakyat despite the objections by its partners on the implementation of hudud.

“We are still in PR and I respect the PAS supporters in Permatang Pauh,” he said when asked whether he would be assisting in PKR’s campaign during the by-election later.

Earlier, Permatang Pauh PAS division had decided not to cooperate with Pakatan Rakyat’s election machinery should PKR refuse to withdraw its stance of not supporting hudud.

The stand, stated by its division leader Omar Hassan, has since been repudiated by party deputy president and Pulau Pinang PAS commissioner Mohamad Sabu, as well as vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who stated that all PAS divisions must assist PKR during their campaigning.