Khairuddin quits PAS

Kuala Nerus MP Khairuddin Aman Razali has announced his resignation from PAS.

According to him, the application letter has been submitted to PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan in accordance with the party’s constitution. 

“Referring to the PAS constitution, clause 15 (1) (a) resignation of a member at his own request.

“With this, I, Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, the holder of PAS membership number 313899, have quit as a member,” he said at a press conference in Parliament, today.

Khairuddin has recently been criticising the party for its performance in the Johor state election, including PAS main leaders' attack against Umno. 

For the record, he was previously removed from his post as PAS committee member and dropped from the position as PAS Syura Ulama Council secretary. 

Khairuddin thanked PAS for the opportunity to be a member since 1989, ever since he was 16 years old, and for the 33 years he served in PAS as a result. He has held several positions in leadership since 1999.

“From a committee member and PAS Youth chief to PAS central committee and the syura ulama council, with my highest and last position as the council’s secretary. 

“I thank PAS for giving me the opportunity to be a candidate in two elections, which led to me being the Kuala Nerus MP since  2013, as well as the opportunity to gain experience as a minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities,” the MP said. 

Reason for quitting ‘difficult to answer’

Asked about his reason for leaving the party, Khairuddin said that it was difficult to answer.

“The reason for quitting PAS is a difficult one to answer. I love PAS.

“I will ‘remain PAS’ insya-Allah (God willing) but not as a permanent member of the organisation, but remain with the goals of its policies and purpose, insya-Allah.

“In the meantime (I am) free, an independent MP. It was quite difficult for me to apply for resignation, but that is the (PAS) constitutional provision - for a member to resign on their own,” he added.

Earlier today, Khairuddin asserted that PAS’ mature and prosperous political culture has now been thrown deep into the South China Sea.

This is among the few criticisms he has openly said about the party.

PAS, which participated in the election alongside PN, only won one seat out of the 15 seats contested in the recent Johor state elections.

Khairuddin said that this reality definitely would not be admitted by PAS’ leadership in the post-mortem of the election, adding that the denial syndrome and (the act of) sweeping things under the carpet, if left unchecked, would kill the party one day. - Mkini