PAS ready to take over Terengganu, says Tuan Ibrahim

(The Star) – The Islamist party will carry this move out either through a vote of no-confidence against Ahmad Razif or demand his resignation as mentri besar, said PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (pic).

PAS is eager to rule Terengganu again and will back disgruntled Kijal assemblyman Datuk Seri Ahmad Said’s effort to oust beleaguered Mentri Besar Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman.

The Islamist party will carry this move out either through a vote of no-confidence against Ahmad Razif or demand his resignation as mentri besar, said PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (pic).

Meanwhile, Ahmad issued a fresh ultimatum to Ahmad Razif late yesterday to resign.

He told The Star that he would join “the other side” and enable them to form the next government unless the mentri besar steps down.

However, he did not elaborate on his threat as to when he would make the dramatic move of resigning from Umno.

Earlier, in a telephone interview, Tuan Ibrahim said Ahmad should just leave Umno and allow PAS to take over.

“We are ready to form the new state government,” he added.

But he slammed Ahmad for making threats.

“He shouldn’t just make noises about it. If Umno is going to sack him, then he should resign,” he said, adding that Ahmad’s ally, Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib, should also quit Umno.

PAS Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said there was no need for PAS to form a coalition government with Umno should Ahmad Razif be removed as mentri besar or if Ahmad resigned.

“If Ahmad resigns, he will become an independent state assemblyman and PAS will hold the majority,” he said.

Terengganu PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat also challenged Ahmad to resign.

“He has not taken any action to do it. Don’t make noise, just leave Umno,” he said.

Satiful, who is Paka assemblyman, said the question of inviting Ahmad or Ghazali to join PAS did not arise.

“Their resignation from Umno is sufficient for PAS to take over Terengganu,” he added.

Barisan Nasional currently holds 17 seats in the 32-seat state legislative assembly while PAS has 14 and PKR one.

If Ahmad Said and Ghazali go independent, Barisan will lose its majority. PAS ruled Terengganu for two terms from June 1959 to November 1961, and December 1999 to March 2004.

Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut of PAS did not dismiss the possibility of Ahmad trying to move a motion of no-confidence despite not giving 14 days’ notice to Speaker Datuk Mohd Zubir Embong.

“This time, if there is a motion of no-confidence and the Speaker rejects it, then we might propose a no-confidence vote against the Speaker instead,” he said.

Mohd Abdul Wahid said PAS would hold a meeting before the state assembly sitting on Monday to discuss the issues and also to convince PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to support the motion of no-confidence if it was tabled.

He said Abdul Hadi, who is Rhu Rendang assemblyman, might not want to take Terengganu “by the back door” as he wanted to do it through the general election which he believed could be just a year away.

“However, we will explain to the president that this motion is not from PAS but from the Umno camp.

“So why shouldn’t we take the opportunity?” he added.

It is learnt that Abdul Hadi is in Turkey and will only return on Sunday.

In Kemaman, state Umno liaison information bureau chairman Wan Abdul Hakim Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar urged Ghazali to resign as state exco member, saying that Ghazali is a member of the state government.

“Why criticise the government under Ahmad Razif’s leadership as non-functioning when he himself is in the government?” Bernama quoted him as saying.