PAS wary of Anwar’s moves

The Star.comCOMMENT
By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

PAS fears that in an Anwar-led government, concessions made on his way up would mean Islam and Malays being relegated to the backseat.

NOT by piety alone has Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat risen up the ranks of PAS to become the powerful Murshid’ul Am or spiritual leader of the party which has a membership now of over one million.

Splendid political footwork and a willingness to fell his detractors are key elements of his success – a talent that he hides well behind his piousness and charming demeanour.

The way he undermined the PAS-Umno talks and offset PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and his deputy Nasaruddin Mat Isa, then gained the upper hand, is a classic example of how the crafty leader has survived this long in a party given to constant ideological battles.

It is hard to imagine that this 77-year-old veteran started as a part-time adult class teacher with Kemas in 1960 at a time when he was just one of the many Al-Azhar graduates crowding Kota Baru and not yet the Tok Guru he later grew into. [more]

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PAS tells members to focus on winning polls

The Star Online

KOTA BARU: PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar has called on party members to stop the debate on the party’s informal meetings with Umno and instead devote their energy to helping Pakatan Rakyat win the coming Permatang Pauh by-election.

He said the coming PAS muktamar in Perak from Aug 13 to 15 could be a platform for members to gather and contribute towards a good showing for the Pakatan Rakyat.

Kamarudin said PAS would not defer the muktamar due to the impending by-election to be contested by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, saying the party was quite used to multi-tasking.

In another development, Kelantan Mentri Besar and PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said he was confident that Anwar would not be affected by the sodomy allegations against him. [more]

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