ABDUL Hadi Awang’s victory as party president has tightened his grip on the party, ending any hopes of PAS working with the other opposition parties in Pakatan Harapan (PH), and freeing Hadi to cooperate with Umno.

But for insiders, Hadi’s win yesterday and that of his deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who also won unopposed would give the party some stability.

According to PAS election director Mustafa Ali, their victories showed that PAS has moved on from the fractious party elections of 2015 where some of its leaders left to form Amanah, which is now part of PH.

“This shows that we have stabilised and this leadership will lead the party into the next elections,” said Mustafa.

Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar from Ilham Centre said: “I was following Hadi’s speech at the victory party thrown for him in Rusila, following the successful tabling of RUU355, and it is clear that he’s adamant that there won’t be any cooperation with DAP.”

Hisomuddin told The Malaysian Insight today that DAP, PKR and Dr Mahathir Mohamad would bear the brunt of attacks at the party’s annual assembly in Alor Star later this month.

Many PAS divisions have also cut ties with opposition ally PKR.

“As for cooperation with Umno, I think PAS will work out a strategy to avoid any backlash grassroots members. Hadi, however, is in full control of PAS at the moment and the party will go wherever he leads it,” he said.

Hadi also appears to be in control of the delegates, too, said the Ilham Centre executive director.

“In the last elections in 2015, some 200 delegates voted for the ‘progressives’. But half of these delegates have now joined Amanah, while the remaining delegates have been purged from any party positions,” said Hisomuddin.

Incumbent president Hadi will retain his position at this year’s elections at the end of April, as there are no other nominees for the post.

Also closing in on the PAS Youth chief seat is Hadi’s son, Mohamad Khalil, who, sources said has picked up 38 nominations. The deputy PAS Youth chief is expected to contest against Kelantan Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari. 

Yesterday, Tuan Ibrahim again said PAS will no longer cooperate with DAP and Amanah and that it aims to contest in 80 parliamentary seats in the 14^th general election. These seats include those currently held by PKR.

Mustafa said he also expects the three vice-presidents to be decided via “negotiations” although there are five nominees.

“I expect two vice-presidential nominees to drop out of the race and the remaining three will win uncontested,” said Mustafa.

The three vice-presidents are Idris Ahmad, Mohd Amar Abdullah and Iskandar Abdul Smad while secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and information chief Nasruddin Hassan are the two contenders.

Commenting on the 10 nominations needed for this year’s elections compared with the previous years’ two, Mustafa said the party decided to enforce this ruling to ensure that candidates “really” represented the grassroots. – April 11, 2017.