Khalid: PAS members fed up with Hadi can join Amanah

He says Amanah has a more effective platform though Pakatan Harapan.

PETALING JAYA: Amanah has called on PAS members disillusioned with the party’s direction under president Abdul Hadi Awang to cross over and support the splinter outfit.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad today said joining Amanah, which is a member of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, offered a more effective platform than opposing Hadi’s leadership from within PAS.

“If they are loyal to the party they should think… What is the use of the party if its struggle is not there any more? The party is only a medium,” he told FMT.

He reiterated the opinion of former PAS vice-president Nakhaie Ahmad who last week said many PAS grassroots members did not like the party having close relations with Umno, as had been done recently under Hadi.

PAS members had expressed disappointment after Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Razak announced on March 29 that the government would not take over and table a private member’s bill on the amendments to the shariah bill originally tabled by Hadi in the Dewan Rakyat in May last year.

The bill is to give greater punitive powers to shariah courts.

Khalid, who is also MP for Shah Alam, acknowledged Hadi’s strength in PAS.

He said it had allowed Hadi to change the party’s approach in its relations with DAP and PKR in Pakatan Rakyat. This had later led to the demise of the coalition in June last year.

He said it also led to party members turning against PAS leaders opposed to Hadi’s new approach.

Khalid also agreed with Nakhaie’s comment that Amanah’s formation had strengthened Hadi’s standing in PAS.

“If there was any formidable challenger to Hadi in the party, Hadi would already have been ousted.”

Khalid said members expelled from PAS following the general assembly in 2015 needed to reflect on what transpired then that led to the dismantling of Pakatan Rakyat and the formation of Amanah.

“What is important is the platform that we have to deliver our message,” he said in emphasising the importance of Amanah as a viable alternative party. -FMT