Former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, announced today he would relinquish all his positions in Penang’s DAP-led government, in respect for the Dewan Ulama’s motion to cut ties with its ally.
In a sarcastic dig at the ulama’s stance, he told delegates at the party’s 61st muktamar, or annual congress, that the party would be stronger without allies as it would not have to negotiate for seats in elections.
“To fulfil their request, this week I shall resign my posts in Penang, as a board member of the Penang Water Cooperation and from the board of directors of the Penang International Halal Hub.
“Because I abide by the ulama’s resolution, I will follow what they want. Otherwise, people will say I am disobeying the ulama.
“Hence, I start with myself, and this will be followed by my colleagues in Penang, and subsequently in Selangor.
“Don’t worry, we will be strong when we are alone,” said Mohamad sarcastically in his winding up speech.
Continuing in the same tone, Mohamad said PAS was bound to sweep up every parliamentary and state seat in Sarawak, now that it no longer had to share with DAP and PKR
He also mocked Dewan Ulama representative Nasrudin Hassan, who had threatened DAP yesterday by stating that beneath their robes, the ulama had “knees and elbows” that could be used against them.
“Don’t worry about DAP, they are small. We can knee them, we can elbow them, and when they fall, we can ‘karate’ them. Then we can recite the tahlil for them,” said Mohamad, referring to the Muslim prayer for the newly-deceased.
“Because, last year, we read the doa laknat (a prayer full of curses), this year we can recite the doa for the departed. Because that party is of no use to us. We have our knees, we have our elbows, we have karate. We are strong.”
Mohamad was referring to last year’s muktamar, where a delegate from the Federal Territories controversially took the microphone to recite a prayer requesting Allah to rain down curses on PAS members who disagreed with the party president.
Mohamad said he was sad that he was stepping down from the party leadership on such a negative note, with rumours still going strong that he was behind a movement to topple Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
“When people are about to leave, acid is thrown in their face. What if he is hurt, what if he is blinded?
“This is the culture that we see today. Any difference of opinion is seen as an attempt to overthrow the president.”
He said he looked forward to facing an independent committee set up to investigate the allegations against him, and vowed not to run away.
PAS’s Dewan Ulama or clerics’ wing passed a motion for the Islamist party to cut ties with DAP at its annual congress on Wednesday.
The motion was also adopted – without debate – by the larger PAS body at its ongoing congress, and some delegates this morning reacted angrily at being bypassed.
The clerics’ decision is seen a tit-for-tat in response to DAP’s move to sever ties with Hadi earlier this year over his leadership and insistence on hudud, while otherwise maintaining ties with PAS.
In its ongoing muktamar, PAS saw its ulama and conservative faction make a sweep of almost all top leadership posts, alienating other “progressive” leaders keen on maintaining strong cooperation with PR and increasing non-Muslim support. – June 6, 2015.
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