MALACCA POLLS | Amid disgruntlement from the grassroots, the PAS leadership today said it gives full support to Tanjong Bidara candidate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as Perikatan Nasional's nominee for Malacca chief minister.
This is despite the party having previously taken a different stance when it came to backing another woman - Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail - as the head of the Selangor state government back in 2014.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin said there was a reason to the differing stances, implying that it was not a gender issue.
He said in the case of Malacca, none of the other possible chief minister candidates in PN had enough popularity.
"Among the PN candidates, Mas Ermieyati was far ahead of everyone else.
"Because of that, we supported the proposal to nominate Mas Ermieyati as Malacca chief minister," he said.
Mas Ermieyati is contesting in the Tanjung Bidara seat against Malacca BN chief Ab Rauf Yusoh.
If she wins the seat, and PN secures a majority, she could become the first woman to head a state government.
However, not everyone in PAS appears to be in agreement.
In Tangga Batu, banners have gone up claiming that the local PAS division rejects a woman as chief minister.
There is also a letter purportedly from the PAS syura council rejecting Mas Ermieyati, which party deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said was fake.
Meanwhile, PAS divisions in Lendu are also getting conflicting directives to back BN's chief minister candidate Sulaiman Md Ali instead.
The episode harkens back to the Selangor menteri besar crisis in 2014.
PKR had moved to nominate its then president Wan Azizah to replace Khalid Ibrahim as menteri besar, but was met with opposition from PAS.
PAS' main reasoning was that Wan Azizah was an ineffectual leader.
However, there was lingering speculation that her gender may have also been a factor, as indicated by some sources. PAS leaders have denied this.
Commenting on this today, Hashim said that one reason PAS rejected Wan Azizah as Selangor menteri besar was because of the political manoeuvres involved.
"We all know the Kajang Move (to install Wan Azizah) was done to take down Khalid who was already in power, but in Malacca, there is no chief minister now," he said. - Mkini
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