PETALING JAYA: PAS is ready to face the by-election in Perlis to fill the three vacant state seats, says party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic).
He said the party is also prepared for an election should the state assembly be dissolved.
“Three state seats are already vacant,” he said in a recorded interview on his YouTube channel.
Abdul Hadi, who is Marang MP, claimed that many people are sympathetic towards PAS in Perlis, and is confident the party will do well if any election is held.
He said people respected former mentri besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.
“We supported him because he had always been close to the rakyat.
“However, he has now chosen to step down and let someone else take over.”
He called on PAS members to pray for Mohd Shukri whom he believed had been wronged.
“Those who commit injustice will face the consequences sooner or later,” he added.
On relations between PAS and Bersatu, Abdul Hadi said PAS would not condemn Bersatu as it comprised many members with differing views.
However, he hoped Bersatu would act in the spirit of loyalty and solidarity within Perikatan Nasional.
He said PAS expects its Perikatan partner to take action against its five assemblymen who signed statutory declarations (SDs) withdrawing their support for Mohd Shukri, who resigned on Thursday.
On the question of appeals against the vacancies, Abdul Hadi said it was up to the parties involved to decide on their next course of action, noting that elected representatives had taken a party pledge to abide by party directives unless these contradicted Islamic principles.
On Thursday, Mohd Shukri, who is Sanglang assemblyman, announced that he was stepping down as mentri besar, citing “health reasons”.
The resignation followed the submission of eight SDs signed by assemblymen – three from PAS and five from Bersatu – retracting their support for him.
The three PAS assemblymen – Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) – were subsequently sacked.
There are 15 seats in the Perlis state assembly, of which PAS holds nine, Bersatu five and PKR one.
PAS has reportedly submitted two names to replace Mohd Shukri as mentri besar.
Abdul Hadi, however, declined to reveal the names, according to reports.
