KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — PAS has rejected claims it wants Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin to remain Opposition Leader, insisting instead that it will take over the post and name a replacement soon despite a delay in announcing its candidate.
The party said it remained firm on assuming the role, with an announcement expected before the next Dewan Rakyat sitting.
PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told Mingguan Malaysia in an interview published today that the party had already made clear its intention to take over the position, adding that a successor to Hamzah would be unveiled ahead of the upcoming parliamentary session.
“We have stated that PAS will take over the position of Opposition Leader, and it will be announced before the next Dewan Rakyat sitting,” he was quoted as saying.
Pressed on whether a candidate had been identified, he said: “There is a candidate. There is no issue regarding that.”
On March 14, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the coalition had decided to appoint a PAS MP as Opposition Leader following Hamzah’s expulsion from Bersatu on February 13.
Ahmad Samsuri had said the replacement would be named before the end of March, but PAS has yet to do so.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said earlier that the appointment had not been finalised and would be decided collectively among PN component parties.
He said there was still time to reach a decision, with the next parliamentary sitting scheduled for June.
“The matter of the Opposition Leader will be discussed with all parties in PN as it involves all component parties and opposition MPs.
“PN is not just PAS, even though we are the largest party in the coalition, but PAS will still take into account the views of other parties,” he said.
