BUTTERWORTH, 5 May 2009: PAS will maintain its stand of not allowing its members to contest in the Penanti by-election against a counterpart in the opposition pact in the spirit of camaraderie.
Its director of elections, Datuk Mustafa Ali, said PAS would therefore not field its candidate for the state seat even on an independent ticket as it respected that spirit and wanted to protect the image of the party.
“So, there will not be a three-cornered fight,” he told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Penang PAS leaders at the party’s training base in Padang Menora, near here, last night.
“However, we can discuss if the party that had contested the seat before is not prepared to field its candidate this time,” he added.
Mustafa believed that PAS members would abide by the decision made by the party leadership which should also see what action could be taken against those who went against the decision.
Penang PAS Youth, through its former head, Mohd Hafiz Mohd Nordin, had demanded that PAS field a candidate in the by-election as the party’s state leaders and grassroots were disappointed with the decision of the incumbent assemblyperson, PKR’s Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, to quit the post on 16 April, for what they felt was a lame excuse.
Penang PAS deputy commissioner, Mujahid Yusuf Rawa, had also two days ago urged the party to review its decision and agreement made with its partners in the opposition pact on the allocation of seats.
PKR has named its Penang deputy chairperson Mansor Othman as its candidate for the by-election to be held on 31 May.
Mustafa said he would convey the feelings of the Penang PAS members who wanted a PAS candidate to contest, to the party’s top leaders at their monthly meeting on 10 May and also to PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. — Bernama
