‎THIS year’s PAS party elections will be a non-event, merely a show to confirm that Abdul Hadi Awang and the conservative spine have an unshakeable grip on the Islamist political party.

The polls will also spell the end for residual members of the “Erdogans” or “progressives” who attempted to wrest control of the party in 2015.

While Mohamed Sabu and a clutch of defeated Erdogans left PAS and set up Parti Amanah Negara, Mahfuz Omar, Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi, Dr Zaki Ibrahim and Rozi Mohd remained and tried to challenge Hadi from within.

They failed. 

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz, who was once the PAS Youth chief and a former vice-president, did not contest a post at the national level.

He and his three progressives can expect to be sidelined completely after this weekend’s muktamar.

In the past, PAS elections to fill spots in the central committee, Ulama Council, Women’s and Youth wings were hotly contested affairs.

Not so, this time.

PAS is now Hadi’s party and the message that has flowed through the ranks is to maintain the status quo and not to upset the stability in the run-up to the 14^th general election (GE14).

A first for Ulama Council

For the first time since the party was established in 1951, the Ulama Council will have no elections for its working committee.

Ulama Council leader Dr Mahfodz Mohamad, his deputy Dr Nik Zawawi Mohd Salleh and vice-chief Dr Johari Mat won uncontested. Even the 12-man working committee was returned unopposed.

Winning by default

It is the same in the central committee, Women and Youth wings. The top positions were settled as the candidates won unopposed.

The leaders of all the wings – Hadi, Women’s chief Nuridah Salleh and Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi – were unchallenged.

There were also no contests for the Women and Youth deputy and vice-chief positions.

There will, however, be four candidates vying for the three vice-presidential spots in the central committee. Incumbents Idris Ahmad, Nik Mohamad Amar Nik Abdullah and Iskandar Samad will be challenged by information chief Nasruddin Hassan.

“All that is happening now shows that PAS has stabilised after the last elections in 2015 that caused the PAS split,” said elections director Mustafa Ali.

Mustafa also said the new rules requiring a contestant to obtain 10 nominations instead of the previous two probably reduced the number of candidates.

The higher bar was to ensure that the nominated candidates really represented the direction of the party, he added.

Ilham Centre executive director Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar told The Malaysian Insight that this year’s party polls reflected the reality on the ground.

After the progressives were defeated in 2015 and following a decision by Mat Sabu, Salahuddin Ayub and others to leave the party, more than half of the 200 delegates who voted for the progressives also resigned from PAS.

“The remaining followers have since been purged from party positions and they are also outnumbered,” he added.

This weekend’s elections will just serve to confirm that Hadi and his ilk are in total control of Pas.

For the ‎remaining progressives, they only have two options: accept anonymity in PAS or leave.

“It looks like they will stay, as Amanah is not strong enough to make them jump ship,” Hisomuddin said. – April 27, 2017.