In PAS, two factions emerge as party heads towards internal poll

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — A movement is believed to be growing in PAS, which could mount a challenge towards president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in the internal election due this year.

Despite attempts from party leaders to dispel talk of such a faction and the purported rift, several PAS insiders have recently confirmed its existence when contacted by Malay Mail.

“Yes there is a movement from a faction in Terengganu to gain support to challenge for the presidential post.

“However, it was not as serious as it was portrayed in the social media,” said the PAS state leader who declined to be named.

The source was referring to reports and social media posts about secretary of the influential advisory PAS Syura Council, Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, meeting state leaders ostensibly to solicit their support for the party’s internal election scheduled this year.

Khairuddin is the MP for Kuala Nerus in Terengganu. Abdul Hadi is also an MP in Terengganu, for Marang.

Another PAS insider also confirmed the matter on the condition of anonymity but insisted it was a natural phenomenon of democracy and did not merit public discussion.

“PAS is a political party that has elections. All leaders in the party have a right to contest as it was written in the party’s constitution.

“However, only the enemy of the party wanted to abuse the issue by saying the party is fractured, which is untrue,” the person said.

In a Sinar Harian interview last month, PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Hashim Jasin denied the existence of an audio clip purportedly of Khairuddin asking him for support to challenge Abdul Hadi in the party’s upcoming election.

“What audio do they mean? There is no audio as alleged, I deny what was being thrown around.

“I believe it is just a ploy by certain parties to cause fights among PAS leaders,” he said as quoted by Sinar Harian.

PAS information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad also dismissed the matter as “rumours”, saying he did not know who in the party was seeking to create a perception of infighting.

PAS is said to be divided between two factions, with one aligned to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and another favouring Umno and the Muafakat Nasional pact.

The faction siding with Muhyiddin is said to be led by Abdul Hadi who was appointed a special envoy to Middle East by the prime minister, vice-president and Terengganu mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and secretary-general and de facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.

The pro-Muhyiddin faction is being dubbed the “Publika Gang” by detractors of PAS on social media, named after the shopping centre in the upscale Solaris Dutamas neighbourhood, where several of the faction’s alleged leaders are based in.

Khairuddin is presented as the leader of the opposing group, dubbed “Ustaz Gang” by the same detractors, for the clergy faction that dominates it.

The clergy faction had previously clashed with the so-called “Erdogan” faction — named after now Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — leading to the latter’s exit to form splinter Parti Amanah Negara now allied with PKR and DAP in Pakatan Harapan.

PAS and Umno entered into the informal Muafakat Nasional charter in 2019 but the Islamist party has since also become a component of the registered Perikatan Nasional coalition.

PAS’ internal party election was slated to be held in the third quarter of this year during its annual congress, or “muktamar”, but has now been postponed until after the 15th general election.