KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — 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 (ANAK), 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.
He added that ANAK no falls under the PAS banner as it was officially registered as an NGO by the Registrar of Societies three months ago.
The PAS member of 30 years also said he felt “disheartened” by the use the “cai paper” or menu for the polls. The Ulama faction had use the “cai” to list down the candidates it endorsed.
“The allegations that the elections was decided using the cai paper is very frustrating. We have lost track from the original way where leaders were chosen based on their performance,” Mazlan added.
He also refuted claims that the ousted PAS progressives would be joining the NGO Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa).
“I have nothing to do with PasMa. Anything they do has nothing to do with me,” Mazlan clarified.
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.
