SHAH Alam MP Khalid Samad will either be a big winner in this week’s PAS election or the big loser.
His latest blog post, a no-holds-barred opinion piece on the party’s election campaign attracted mixed reactions. Some agreed with it, some accused him of campaigning for incumbent deputy president Mohamad Sabu while others think he is too emotional and has gone overboard. One PAS branch is even contemplating lodging a complaint to the party’s election committee.
Three key things stood out in his blog posting. First, he slammed the group that claimed it is out to save PAS from practising the “culture of slander and destruction”. This group has been pushing for ulama candidates in the party polls and running down those from the Erdogan camp.
Second, he rubbished claims that Mohamad, who is seeking re-election, is a Syiah and said it was concocted by external enemies and perpetuated by “orang PAS” or people inside the party. He disagreed that the No. 2 must be an ulama and said that Mohamad should be retained.
Third, he said the agenda of those who claimed they want to save PAS actually want to take the party out of Pakatan Rakyat.
He appealed to delegates to vote for status quo so that the Pakatan coalition will remain intact.
The Erdogan have been under attack by the young Turks in the ulama group and Khalid is taking a calculated risk in hitting back.
About 30% or so among the 1,300 delegates who will be voting on Friday are ulama; that is, those who went through religious education and who work as religious teachers and preachers.
Delegates who approve of the ideas and approach of the Erdogans comprise about 30%.
Khalid is reaching out to the remaining 40% fence-sitters who will decide on the outcome of the polls.
The pro-ulama group has been preparing for the showdown since September when the Dewan Ulama hosted a big gathering or Multaqa Ulama in Alor Setar to discuss issues of concern to their circle.
About 1,500 ulama from the party attended and this was where the now famous call to review the political cooperation or tahaluf siasi between PAS and the Pakatan parties came about. They also called for more ulama to occupy the top party posts.
“There were suggestions that the top leaders including the deputy president and vice-president in the party should be from the ulama group.
“We have made our stand and we leave it to the delegates to decide at the muktamar,” Johor PAS commission Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed.
The ulama clout in PAS is what makes this party special and different from arch rival Umno.
This group does not necessarily want PAS to quit Pakatan, as claimed by Khalid, but they want the party to redefine its role in the coalition.
For several years now, the Erdogan group had convinced the leadership that the party should focus on winning Putrajaya instead of frightening voters with talk about their Islamic state goal.
But PAS lost the Malay ground to Umno in the general election and the ulama feel that the party needs to review its political approach.
Some of those in the pro-ulama group have even come up with a menu of candidates who have their support. Top of their list is Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah who is challenging Mat Sabu for the No 2 post.
Their choice for the three vice-presidents are Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and Datuk Abu Bakar Chik, both ulama, and the popular incumbent Datuk Salahuddin Ayub.
Their endorsed list of CWC candidates includes 10 religious scholars.
Also on the list are Nik Abduh Nik Aziz, the son of Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, and Khairuddin Muhammad, the son-in-law of Datuk Seri Hadi Awang.
Meanwhile, some leaders in PAS are still denying there is a rift between the ulama and the pro-Erdogan camp, insisting that the media is making it up.
They are suffering from what is known as the elephant-in-the-room syndrome.
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