KUALA LUMPUR: The candidate for Perikatan Nasional chairman will not automatically be the coalition's GE16 "poster boy" or prime minister candidate, says PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
The selected leader is also not guaranteed of succeeding Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang as PAS president, he added.
Sinar Harian quoted Tuan Ibrahim as saying on Friday (Feb 6) that any PAS member named to the highest position in Perikatan will focus more on coordinating its work ahead of the coming general election and state elections.
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"This position... is to lead the coalition so that its machinery is strengthened and streamlined to face GE16," he said in a special interview with the Malay daily at his office in Parliament here on Thursday (Feb 5).
Recent speculation on candidates for Perikatan chairman has seen several PAS leaders' names mentioned.
They include Hadi, Tuan Ibrahim, Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Commenting on the speculation, Tuan Ibrahim stressed that any names mentioned were not official information from either PAS or Perikatan.
On the contrary, he said, the matter is still up for discussion among the component parties, in line with the coalition's constitution.
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"There is a view that the position must be held by a party president, but based on the Perikatan constitution, PAS' interpretation is that it does not necessarily have to be that way.
"If all the component parties want it to be a president, we need to nominate only one (candidate each).
"If it does not need to be the president, we can propose one or two other names.
"All this can be discussed and resolved amicably," he said.
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last year that he was resigning as Perikatan chairman with effect from Jan 1.
The other component parties are Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People's Party.
