KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claimed today that his pledge of support for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was made in the immediate aftermath of the 14th general election, amid speculation over the Opposition party’s recent and unexpected declaration.
The Marang MP created a buzz on the political grapevine by throwing his back behind the man he had been criticising since the latter’s first administration under Barisan Nasional from 1981 to 2003.
“I’d like to share what I discussed with Tun Dr Mahathir when I met him for the first time after GE14, including the exasperation with the results of the general election that was not balanced with the Muslim majority of Malaysian citizens.
“He promised to make changes for the sake of Islam. I replied, ‘Tun, you do it and I will support’,” Hadi wrote on his Facebook page last night.
This is the first time Hadi has disclosed his discussion with Dr Mahathir who last May was elected back to power for the second time as the world’s oldest head of government in a democratic country.
The two men met for the second time on February 15, which is when word of PAS’ support for Dr Mahathir as prime minister under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government first surfaced, through a statement by the Islamist party’s secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan on February 17.
The support is said to last until the next general election due in 2022.
Dr Mahathir who once headed Umno is now the chairman of PH component Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, and is clawing for support from the country’s Malay Muslim group, the largest democratic voter profile.
The issue has since spawned another controversy concerning a much-rumoured no-confidence vote against Dr Mahathir when the Dewan Rakyat resumes sitting next month.
Dr Mahathir had drily remarked just three days ago that the no-confidence move would be a good test for PAS to prove its support for his leadership.
The Islamist party has joined forces with former arch nemesis Umno to win over Malay Muslim support, in preparation for the next general election.
The two parties have been partnering each other in the past few by-elections, including in the Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency that Barisan Nasional won.
They are again combining forces to take on PH in the March 2 by-election for the Semenyih state seat in Selangor.
