PAS members joined Amanah out of fear of losing election, Hadi claims

 

SIMPANG JERAM BY-ELECTION | PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has claimed that the move by some of the party's former leaders and members to join Amanah was done out of their purported fear of losing an election.

Addressing supporters at a ceramah in Simpang Jeram last night, Hadi also described them as being "faint-hearted" for leaving the party's struggle.

"There were those within PAS who were among the faint-hearted, and they did not want to leave the DAP. They were afraid of losing an election.

"Those who were afraid to lose were the ones who joined Amanah and they joined because they wanted to win elections.

"So much so they were willing to abandon the principles of PAS' struggles," said Hadi at the Bakri PAS headquarters last night.

Perikatan Nasional is up against Pakatan Harapan through Amanah in both Simpang Jeram and Pulai seats which were vacant after the death of its incumbent and Amanah deputy president, the late Salahuddin Ayub.

In Simpang Jeram, Johor PAS deputy commissioner Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya is up against Bakri Amanah deputy chief Nazri Abdul Rahman and an independent S Jeganathan, while the contest for Pulai involves Pulai Bersatu deputy chief Zulkifli Jaafar, Johor Amanah vice-chief Suhaizan Kaiat, and an independent Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi.

Numbers game

Meanwhile, Hadi also said the DAP's alleged refusal to accept hudud law has motivated the Islamist party to initiate attempts to change the government, during Harapan's first stint in federal power after the 14th general election in 2018.

The Marang MP said he had at the time met with Dr Mahathir Mohamad as then prime minister to inquire about the situation of the government.

"Tun (Mahathir) said, 'I didn't expect it to be this way. Don't know what will happen (when) Muslims are not leading, Malays are not leading.'

“I said, 'Tun, we will try to unite Malay-bumiputera MPs, Chinese, and Indians who are not extreme to join.

"When we have the numbers, we’ll change the government," said Hadi, narrating incidents leading up to the Sheraton Move that ended Harapan's first 22 months in power. - Mkini