We aren't a rich party, says Selangor PAS

KLANG: PAS is not a rich party and it has just enough to spend for the upcoming state elections, says Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi.

The Selangor PAS commissioner also said its dewan ulama chief Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh was speaking in jest that PAS had "a lot of money".

The Pasir Putih MP had been quoted as saying: "PAS has a lot of money. If Bersatu has no money, we will give them money."

Bersatu's bank accounts are currently frozen by the authorities.

Dr Nik Muhammad's quip was also picked up by Umno information chief Isham Jalil, who urged PAS to clarify how much funds it had given to and received from Bersatu.

Dr Ahmad Yunus said the party just manages to cover costs and depends largely on members' contributions.

He said expenses for elections are mostly contributed by party members and most candidates pay for their own deposits.

Selangor PAS secretary Roslan Shahir said it was absurd to assume that the party was cash-rich.

"We spend as little as possible for every event. The cost for our recent Hari Raya open house in Selangor did not exceed RM20,000," he said.

Roslan explained that every time an election ends, PAS initiates fund-raising activities.

"It is always a five-year fund raising exercise and money is raised amongst our members," he explained, adding usually the funds do not even reach RM1mil per constituency.

He said branches and divisions in each constituency are also given a targeted amount to raise in the five-year duration.

Meanwhile, Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani of Universiti Utara Malaysia's School of Politics and International Relations said PAS has never really had much money of its own.

"When PAS was part of Pakatan Rakyat, they received help from there. Following that, Umno helped them when they were in Muafakat Nasional and just recently they were helped financially by Bersatu.

"Now that Bersatu's accounts have been frozen, they have to find other means to face the upcoming state election," Dr Mohd Azizuddin.

He added that he suspected that PAS mending fences with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and signing his Malay Proclamation was a financially-driven decision.

According to Dr Mohd Azizuddin, PAS did not have big donors like other parties and depended on funds collected during ceramah and contributions from members and supporters who are mostly from the grassroots.