‘Ulama leadership must be upheld, protected’

Delegates will once again be transfixed next month whether they should vote in an aging ulama leadership or settle for the professional groups.

SUNGAI PETANI: With the PAS party election looming away in over one month, the contentious debate among its delegates is reignited again over whether the party must solely be led by the ulama (clerics).

Since the party reinvented iself in 1998 when it joined the likes of DAP to support former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who is now the embattled opposition leader, PAS is mostly centred among the professionals versus ulama factions.

There is a middle ground such as PAS strongman Mohammad Sabu who is said to enjoy comfort between the two groups but by and large, a debate persist, especially now after the party is reeling from a set of poor electoral performances in the Malay heartland seats.

Delegates would once again be transfixed next month whether they should vote in an aging ulama leadership or settle for the upstarts, the younger, moderate and accommodating professional groups.

According to party observers, the party’s leadership has an almost balance composition of professionals and ulama in its central committee, balancing each other out.

The ulama is linked to president Abdul Hadi Awang who by reputation is defined as a hardline cleric while the professionals are linked to the reformist-minded Anwar.

The exception is the party deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa who was once linked with the professionals and then the ulama, while now, he is seen to have status of being neither here nor there.

This makes the post he is holding open to all forms of speculation with the likes of Mohammad Sabu, Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak, party vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Mat and Kelantan PAS deputy commissioner III Husam Musa linked to contesting it.

Pick the one with the best credentials

The slogan of “kepimpingan menerusi ulama” (ulama leadership of PAS), is now often cited as a clarion call in the PAS grassroots meetings from its branches to area (divisional ) levels.

A total of 179 areas would conduct its meeting by the middle of next month to file nominations of party leaders and to select delegates for the annual PAS muktamar from June 2 until June 5 in Kuala Lumpur.

Former PAS secretary-general Kamarudin Jaafar argues that the ulama-versus-professional debate should cease to exist by now as the party has made constitutional amendments to spell out that even professionals can be defined as ulamas within the party context.

Kamarudin, a former university academician, said professionals can lead the party although they may not have religious credentials or had graduated from Islamic universities.

As long as they are Muslims who practised a pious religious life and are generally accepted as leaders by the party members, they can qualify to hold PAS leadership posts, Kamarudin said in an interview.

He reminded members that a former PAS acting president, the late Dr Allias Abbas who led from 1956 to 1959, was a medical doctor.

Therefore, professionals such as the likes of doctors, lawyers, economists or engineers have an equal standing to lead the party, similar to their ulama brothers, Kamarudin said.

He said the delegates should choose who has the best credentials to lead the party as it is their right to determine the future of PAS.

Maintain status quo

Penang PAS Youth chief Yusni Piah said some quarters are mostly leaning towards keeping a status quo in the party in view that the party must be prepared to face the next general election.

“I think our muktamar would reinforce our stand with Pakatan Rakyat, namely strengthening the bond between PKR and DAP while also defending Anwar who is accused of another sex offence.”

Anwar is embroiled in another controversy after a sex video was uploaded online, depicting someone who resembles him, having sex with an unidentified woman with Oriental features.

Yusni said that Penang PAS has no problems with president Abdul Hadi Awang, Nasharudin, Tuan Ibrahim and the other two vice-presidents, Sallehuddin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar.

Yusni also said that his area, Permatang Pauh, would also continue to nominate the youth wing head Nasharuddin Hassan Tantawi to continue for another term as the latter had just completed one-term.

He said that contrary to popular belief that PAS lost badly in the Sarawak state election, the party had actually garnered more votes and reduce the majority of their victors.

“We are now in Sarawak. Even Umno is not there, so the future prospect of PAS ousting Umno as a political force is there.”

He said the ulama leadership in PAS, must be upheld and protected, as it represents the essence of what the party is all about.