Ulama takeover complete as last PAS progressive to walk from party post

(Malay Mail Online) – The ulama or clergy faction’s domination of PAS will be total by the end of today when the sole surviving member of the party’s progressive faction will resign from its central leadership committee.

PAS land bureau chairman Mazlan Aliman today announced his resignation, citing both disappointment with the party election results and a desire to focus on his own citizens’ group.

“I have made up my mind to resign as a central committee member. I apologise for the decision but I have to give more importance to my NGO,” he told reporters at a press conference in PAS headquarters

Mazlan, who runs the National Felda Settlers Children Association, added that the wipeout of the progressives influenced his decision.

“To say it (resignation) has nothing to do with all those (progressives) that lost is not accurate. The lost left a black mark in my life and influenced my decision,” he added.

Mazlan will submit his resignation letter today to the PAS secretariat.

Out of the 23 central committee members, Mazlan is the only member from the so-called progressive faction; the rest are from the ulama faction or aligned to it

On June 4, the ulama trounced party progressives in a near-total takeover of PAS the party leadership, winning 22 out of the 23 posts open for contest in the Islamist party’s central working committee.

PAS then also approved a motion for the Islamist party to sever ties with DAP, its political ally in Pakatan Rakyat putting the bloc’s future in a limbo.