PAS Crisis: EGM The Final Solution

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Conversations with several PAS leaders on the leadership crisis affecting the party indicated that the issue is anything but resolved.
While some view the matter as no longer an issue as it has been left to the party's disciplinary committee to resolve, others feel that it should be discussed and that the best platform to do so will be at the party's political seminar scheduled for Saturday.
There are also those who feel that an extraordinary "muktamar" or general meeting (EGM) will be the best way forward to resolve the impasse should the disciplinary committee and the one-day seminar fail to break the deadlock.
Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad said the option to hold the EGM is open for consideration by party members as the matter is allowed for under the constitution.
"It is an extraordinary move but if that can provide the solution, or if the solution sought through the seminar or the disciplinary committee is not forthcoming, then I think party members have the option to call for an EGM," he told Bernama here.
Ironically, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub stressed that the seminar was to replace the EGM.
The seminar, however, would not discuss the leadership crisis in the party as the purpose was to get the views of members and two political observers on steps PAS should take to strengthen its role in the opposition pact, Salahuddin said.
The two political observers invited to share their views are Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari of the International Islamic University Malaysia and Prof Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah of the University of Malaya.
"This (leadership crisis) does not arise anymore; we consider it settled. We leave the issue regarding (Selangor PAS commissioner) (Datuk) Dr Hassan Ali to the party's disciplinary committee to investigate," Salahuddin said.
Another vice-president, Datuk Mahfuz Omar, concurred with Salahuddin's statement, saying the leadership issue would be thrashed out by the party's disciplinary committee.
But Mahfuz appears to be sidestepping the issue when asked about the fact that other leaders described by a political observer as "problematic leaders" have not been referred to the disciplinary committee.
"How would you know? Are you the disciplinary committee?" asked Mahfuz.
The party's central committee, at its meeting on Oct 28 which was also attended by spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, had instructed the party's disciplinary committee to investigate the Selangor PAS leadership on grounds that they made decisions contrary to the spirit of consensus of the opposition pact.
However, several names like president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali, who were mentioned by Prof Abdul Aziz Bari as "problematic leaders" and prompted Nik Abdul Aziz to call for an EGM to rid the party of them, are not subjected to any investigation.
Attention is focused instead on Hassan and Selangor PAS leaders who are said to have acted contrary to the interest of the opposition pact in the state.
"Prof Abdul Aziz, in his analysis, said that Selangor is in trouble. He said that these leaders (Nasharudin, Mustafa and Abdul Hadi) are protecting Hassan because they concurred (with the stand taken by Hassan on several issues including his call for a ban in the sale of alcohol).
"If the disciplinary committee takes action (against Hassan), then there is no truth to the claim and there is no reason for any quarters to allege so," he said.
The Selangor PKR-DAP-PAS government has been treading on shaky ground on numerous occasions due to the stand taken by Hassan on certain issues.
He has also been adamant in defending his stand even if it runs contrary to the stand taken by the opposition pact.
Among them was his call to ban the sale of alcohol in Malay-majority areas in Selangor, a move seen by political observers as having the potential to erode the support of non-Muslims towards the party.
Hassan also came under fire for openly criticising the investigation methods employed by the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat), a body established by the Selangor opposition pact.
Hassan and several PAS leaders in Selangor may be facing disciplinary action.
However, there is also the question of the fate of other leaders whom Nik Abdul Aziz is not too happy with.
Political observers agree that PAS will remain intact despite the severity of the crisis.
They also see that the current impasse is nothing more than a manifestation of the power play between Nik Abdul Aziz and Abdul Hadi.
But their observation is based on history and on different generation of leaders. In reality, the party is divided into two -- on one side is the conservative ulama, on the other is the liberal professional ulama.
Can PAS withstand the force of crisis until the next party elections or will a new chapter in its history be written, which will force the party to call for an EGM?

tunku : there are two team in pas now, H1N1 teams. team hadi and team nik aziz.i guess egm is the best solution for them not the one day seminar.i don't see how the seminar will help pas internal problems as the problems are between two teams and not because of policies or strategies.the best way for the party to solve it's problem is to ask the senile old man,nik aziz to retire for good.the longer he stays the more problems for pas.