10 reasons why PAS wants Khalid

Here are ten reasons why PAS thinks Khalid is the preferred leader for  the post of Selangor Menteri Besar.

COMMENT

Why complicate a simple situation? As far as PAS sees it, the reasons are crystal clear as to why Khalid Ibrahim should remain as Selangor’s Menteri Besar.

1. Some Muslims cannot accept a woman such as Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as an imam. In fact, some even consider it haram. The Amina Wadud controversy in the US is a good example as it almost triggered a riot. Imam in this context means leader, not just the person leading a congregation in prayer. In regards to Imam (or Ayatollah) Khomeini, he was an imam of a nation, not an imam of prayers.

2. PAS is also worried that if Dr Wan Azizah takes over, it will not be she who will be running the state but those behind her. Dr Wan Azizah has never demonstrated any management skills. This is true from the time she was helming the party in 1999. It was always the number two who ran things hence should she be Menteri Besar, it will be number two who will be running Selangor as well.

3. Some PAS leaders, if not most, consider Anwar Ibrahim guilty of the charge of sodomy. For the sake of Pakatan Rakyat’s solidarity they will not say so openly but privately they will make this view known. Hence they will not support any plan of Anwar’s.

4. Most PAS people are royalists – they consider the Sultan the head of Islam, akin to a Caliph. Hence they will never defy him as doing so will mean they are defying the Head of Islam. PAS knows the Sultan wants Khalid to remain as Menteri Besar and as such, they will support the Sultan’s choice.

5. Some people quote the Bible controversy as one reason Khalid has to go. Khalid has failed to resolve the Bible issue in Selangor by not returning the confiscated Bibles. To many, this is a minus point for Khalid. To many PAS people, however, this is a plus point although they will not say so openly.

6. PAS has always been divided between the fundamentalists and the so-called Erdogans, meaning the ‘Young Turks’. Most of those in PAS view Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his Young Turks as apostates and traitors to Islam. Hence ‘Young Turks’ is a negative label, which the ulama despise. And the PAS Erdogans are also Anwaristas, which makes it even worse. That is a definite double-whammy.

7. One of the reasons PKR wants Khalid out is because, as the PKR people themselves complain, Khalid will not give the party money or financially support the party’s candidates in elections. PAS is worried that if Khalid is ousted the next Menteri Besar from PKR will squander the state’s wealth. This is also the reason why the Sultan wants Khalid to serve his full term.

8. PAS has received many complaints about abuse of power by certain PKR and DAP leaders in Selangor. Some from DAP were dropped in the recent general elections for precisely those reasons. However, many from PKR were retained. This group now wants to take power and PAS will not allow it.

9. PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang never liked Anwar Ibrahim since his ABIM days. He considers Anwar a hypocrite and a fraud. It is because of Fadzil Noor, and after his death, Mustafa Ali, that PAS and PKR managed to maintain cordial relations. But the recent falling out between Hadi and Mustafa has meant Mustafa can no longer call the shots like before.

10. PAS has never abandoned its Islamic cause, in particular regarding hudud. They have simply preferred to keep it on the backburner for the meantime. Anwar, however, is opposed to the Islamic agenda and PAS knows this. PAS just needed time to neutralise Anwar and the tussle for Menteri Besar has proven the best opportunity to do that. If they can kill off Anwar then one major obstacle to the Islamic agenda is removed.

Roslan Bistaman is a FMT columnist.