PETALING JAYA: PAS says no specific directive was issued to ensure the party’s top five leadership positions are uncontested at its party elections later this month.
PAS vice-president Amar Nik Abdullah said this was as opposed to the previous Umno party election, which saw the party’s top two positions go uncontested.
He was responding to criticism by Umno Kelantan deputy information chief Noor Hariri Mohamed Noor, who claimed that Umno was more democratic than PAS as the Islamic party’s top five positions will not be contested at the Oct 20-22 general assembly, Berita Harian reported.
“For the president and deputy president’s posts, it was the members’ preference for Abdul Hadi Awang and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to retain their respective positions,” Amar was quoted as saying.
“As for the three vice-presidents’ posts, we expected a contest after the party received four nominations involving three incumbents and one more candidate, Sanusi Nor, who is also the Kedah menteri besar.
“However, Sanusi withdrew for certain reasons, leading to the other three candidates being automatically declared winners.”
On Friday, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the positions of PAS president, deputy president and three vice-presidents will not be contested in the party’s elections next month.
He said there were no new nominations for the top five posts, hence the elections will only be held for its central committee.
Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim were also unchallenged in the party elections held in Terengganu two years ago.
Hadi became party president in 2002 following the death of his predecessor, Fadzil Noor, while Tuan Ibrahim has been the party’s number two since 2015.
Apart from Amar, the other two PAS vice-presidents are Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and former religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad.
