PAS to reveal its candidate on New Year’s Day

KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS will wait until New Year’s Day to name its candidate for the Jan 17 Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election.
“We have shortlisted the candidate and I have the name in my pocket, keeping it close to my heart, but you all have to wait,” party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told reporters after chairing a central committee meeting here.
Hadi said he would make the announcement on Jan 1 during a gathering at the state stadium in Batu Burok, here.
Asked about the delay as Barisan Nasional had already named its candidate, Hadi said it was the party’s right and “furthermore, we don’t have any internal squabbles like Umno.”
“Our machinery is united and therefore we don’t have to follow Barisan Nasional and announce the candidate earlier,” he said.
Hadi described the candidate as “a professional, people-oriented person,” and said he has “the charisma of a leader while meeting all criteria that party had set. He has received all of our (leadership) blessings to contest.”
Asked whether the candidate has a better aptitude and dynamism than Barisan’s candidate Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, he said: “The PAS candidate is more qualified. Furthermore, it is Barisan’s right to evaluate its own candidate. We don’t want to comment on this.”
Political pundits have picked Batu Burok assemblyman Datuk Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi as the most likely choice for PAS to wrest the seat from Barisan.
In an immediate response, Wan Ahmad Farid said Barisan would not be intimidated by PAS’ candidate.
“We have our own strategies, we have our own edge. We are not worried,” he said.
He took a swipe at PAS for saying that Umno was facing internal disputes, and said PAS leaders were also at loggerheads over the choice of candidate.
He was referring to the recommendation made by PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to field vice-president Muhammad Sabu while the state PAS had its own views on the candidate.

tunku : actually pas is having difficulties in choosing the candidates as nik aziz choice is mat sabu,the terengganu's choice is mustafa and the president choice is dr syed azman. hadi is lying that there is no internal squabbles in pas, there is.pas is now divided into 2 groups.one supports and loyal with pas's struggles and vision and another group are pro pkr and trying to change the party's direction.