THEY’RE called Harum Manis, after the famous green-skinned mangoes grown in the northern Malay peninsula.

But in politics, Harum Manis refers to those in PAS who bear the party’s colour of green, but instead support its splinter party Amanah, which uses orange as its party colour.

Three PAS politicians have the ignominy of being identified as Harum Manis, and have been told to leave the party. They are former Kuala Kedah division chief Amiruddin Hamzah, Kubang Rotan assemblyman Mohd Nasir Mustafa dan Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar.

At the on-going PAS muktamar (assembly), the faces of the three leaders were on a banner with one clear message: Get out!

“Harum Manis: green on the outside and orange on the inside; please leave PAS,” was the message on the banner from the party’s hardcore supporters.

The banner was placed at the Mergong and Simpang Empat road, near the venue of the muktamar in Kota Sarang Semut, Kedah.

The three pro-Amanah leaders were called Harum Manis for opposing the central leadership of the party, including its president Abdul Hadi Awang.

The three leaders had also gone against the party’s order when they participated in last year’s Bersih 5 rally.

Amiruddin had resigned as Kuala Kedah division chief, followed by Nasir as his deputy on the grounds that they could not carry out commands from the party’s central leadership.

Although the three were seen as thorns in the flesh for the party’s highest leadership, many of the grassroots had different ideas on the matter.

A delegate, Mohd Haslin Hasan told The Malaysian Insight that he personally did not have any problems with the three leaders.

“For me, there is nothing wrong with disagreements, I don’t have problems with that, it’s normal for political parties.

“Differing opinions shouldn’t be a big issue,” the Sepang delegate said.

A woman delegate from Tuaran Sabah, Ummi Faizah also viewed the matter as trivial, saying PAS had never forced any of its members to leave the party.

“If they wanted to leave, they would have left but they are still in PAS, so there is no issue.

“And for PAS, removing members is the last resort,” she said.

Some of delegates interviewed by The Malaysian Insight also did not believe that the banner was erected by PAS members. For Ummi, it is not the way PAS would deal with problematic members. She added that the Islamist party held party leaders in high regard.

Mohd Haslin said the banner could be the work of outsiders out to split the party and give it a bad image.

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz said he was not affected by the banner and its message, as he considered himself a PAS loyalist.

“I’m still a PAS member, still with PAS because I want to save PAS from being alienated from the mainstream politics,” said the former PAS information chief who was not invited to this year’s muktamar.

Mahfuz also viewed the issue “positively”, saying the banner was a sign that PAS still remembered him.

“If they put up the banner with my face, it means they remember me,” he said.

Kubang Rotan assemblyman Mohd Nasir, who was also not invited to the assembly, brushed off the issue, saying he still has a good relationship with the party’s central leadership.

“There is no warning from the top leadership, so I’ll just proceed as usual.

“Yes, I wasn’t invited because I’m just a normal PAS member,” he said.

“And maybe they don’t invite assemblymen.” – April 30, 2017.