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Trouble ahead for PR as PAS conservatives win

KUALA LUMPUR — The conservative ulama wing won a clean sweep in the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) party elections yesterday night, securing all top positions in the party and comprehensively routing the progressives.

KUALA LUMPUR — The conservative ulama wing won a clean sweep in the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) party elections yesterday night, securing all top positions in the party and comprehensively routing the progressives.

Incumbent party president Abdul Hadi Awang coasted to victory and was re-elected for two years, easily defeating progressive contender Ahmad Awang for the party’s top position in a one-on-one contest, garnering 928 votes over the latter’s 233, with a vote majority of 695. This was the first time Mr Hadi’s presidency in the party has been contested since he took the reins in 2002.

Meanwhile, incumbent progressive vice-president Mohamad Sabu lost out to PAS Pahang commissioner and ulama wing member Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, only managing 279 votes against the latter’s 881.

The new trio of vice-presidents, namely Deputy Kelantan Chief Minister Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, Shura council member Idris Ahmad and Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad are all backed by the ulama wing. All 18 central committee member positions were also won by those allied to Mr Hadi.

The strong show of support for Mr Hadi and his ulama wing could signal more trouble ahead for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) unity, especially after the Democratic Action Party (DAP) — a component party of the opposition coalition — resolutely cut ties with Mr Hadi over his push to implement hudud law in Kelantan.

No representative from the DAP was present during the general assembly yesterday, in a clear signal of the deepening rift. The opposition pact’s third partner, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), however, was represented by its party deputy president and Selangor Chief Minister Azmin Ali.

The DAP absence follows an emergency motion approved yesterday by the ulama wing that took offence to the secular party’s criticisms against Mr Hadi’s push to roll out hudud.

In recent years, PAS has been marred by internal conflict between its two key factions: The more conservative ulama wing, made up of religious scholars and clerics, and the reformist professionals. Both sides hold different views on the implementation of hudud, and whether PAS should continue to work with the PR coalition.

The DAP cut ties with Mr Hadi in March after PAS pushed to implement hudud, or Islamic criminal law, in Kelantan, saying it was not part of the pact’s common-policy framework. Mr Hadi has tabled a private member’s Bill in Parliament to remove legal barriers to the enforcement of hudud, further weakening PR unity. Punishment under hudud law includes the cutting off of the hands for theft, and stoning to death for extramarital sex.

But in his address to delegates earlier yesterday, Mr Hadi stressed the party will remain in PR. Mr Hadi said its “tahaluf siyasi” (cooperation) with DAP and PKR was based on PR’s common policy, which covered good governance and the fight against graft and leaks, among others.

Mr Hadi also spoke on implementing hudud, saying that it must be carried out now because the people today yearn for a “return to Islam”.

Commenting on the elections results and implications on PR unity, Dr Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman, head of the Malaysia Programme at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies told TODAY that it “would be very much status quo, which is not good for PR”.

Dr Nawab noted many PAS delegates saw DAP’s attacks on Mr Hadi as unacceptable. Dr Nawab said DAP’s stance might weaken the professionals in PAS further and possibly drive PAS closer to the ruling party United Malays National Organisation. AGENCIES WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALBERT WAI

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