Some Isma-like group causing HAVOC in Pas - Khalid Samad

KUALA LUMPUR - There is a new enemy within PAS akin to Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) that seeks to destroy everything the party has built up by doing Umno’s work, Khalid Samad said today.

The PAS central committee member, who has been in the Islamist party for more than 30 years, also said this “new group” could be from the police Special Branch (SB) which infiltrated the party in the 1980s.

“It is not wrong to say that since the advent of this new group, Umno/ BN (Barisan Nasional) feel much more comfortable since this group is doing Umno’s work for them,” Khalid wrote in Malay on his blog.

“Their attitude and their approach, as shown in the ‘first scenario’, flicking away the non-Muslims’, and ‘ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy), are similar to the chauvinistic brand of Islam brought by Isma,” the Shah Alam MP added.

Khalid did not name the faction but appears to be alluding to be referring to the scenario posited by PAS’ Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki in a leaked Whatsapp chat between the party’s central committee members, where it was suggested that the Islamist party leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to join forces with Umno that would enable PAS to “flick away” dissent from the DAP and non-Muslims.

Khalid’s comments come even as PAS reportedly submitted three names to the Selangor palace for the mentri besar post that did not include PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was nominated by PKR and the DAP, nor her deputy Azmin Ali.

Malay Mail Online understands that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s office had nominated two assemblymen from PKR — Dr Idris Ahmad and Yaakob Sapari — and Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said in a statement today that he was unaware that his party had submitted its own candidate for the Selangor MB post, stressing that the party’s central committee had decided on August 25 to nominate both Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin.

Khalid said today that the new enemy within PAS was focused on attacking the professional faction in the party and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) allies PKR and the DAP.

“It is through this strategy that they will get what they really want, which is for PAS to leave PR. It’s still unknown whether in leaving PR, they want PAS to work with Umno or to go out on their own,” he said.

Khalid, who is known as a moderate in PAS, said the new enemy was presenting their campaign as a show of love for their president and the ulama, but stressed that they were going against everything Hadi and PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had fought for. -Malay Mail