Topik Panas: Hadi Menjadi Penghalang Utama PR Ke Putrajaya

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Hadi the stumbling block to Pakatan’s Putrajaya ambitions, say analysts

BY MD IZWAN

Published: 17 October 2014

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang sings his own tune and has come under fire from Pakatan Rakyat supporters for the way he broke ranks with DAP and PKR over the choice of Selangor menteri besar. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 17, 2014.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) does not look capable of conquering Putrajaya so long as Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang remains as PAS president, analysts say, citing the trust deficit that the conservative leader has built recently over the handling of ties with DAP and PKR.

Professor James Chin of Monash University said Hadi was the main obstacle in PR's march towards Putrajaya.

"There will be a lack of trust among the parties in Pakatan Rakyat so long as Hadi remains as the president of PAS," Chin told The Malaysian Insider.

His view was echoed by Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who said that Hadi had displayed immaturity in handling the Selangor menteri besar impasse.

"Hadi faced opposition from the PAS central committee over the crisis and immediately complained to the powerful Shura Council."

Wan Saiful, the chief executive officer of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), said Hadi's behaviour had not gone unnoticed.

"Hadi is the president of PAS and his childish behaviour has not only jeopardised his credibility but the party as well.

"As long as Hadi remains the party president, questions will arise whether PAS can be trusted or not. PAS will be labelled as untrustworthy so long as Hadi is around because people will constantly wonder," Wan Saiful told The Malaysian Insider.

PAS and Hadi, in particular, have come under fire by PR supporters for the way he broke ranks with DAP and PKR over the choice of Selangor menteri besar.

Hadi defended his action, citing Islamic principles and said he had the right to make unilateral decisions even if they contradicted the central committee.

In a fiery closing speech at the PAS annual assembly in Johor last month, Hadi upheld the conservatives in the party and instead of closing ranks with DAP and PKR, said in so many words that PAS would march to its own tune on policy and governance issues, despite being part of the PR coalition.

Hadi's assertion that PAS is its own party and not beholden to its allies has been followed by other conservatives in the Islamist party, who want a review of the political cooperation PAS has with DAP and PKR.

The 67-year-old ulama, who is also the Marang MP, is now presiding over PAS at a time when internal rifts have never been more obvious.

PasMa, the movement to pressure PAS to stay in PR, was formed by certain PAS members alarmed at the party's direction.

On Wednesday, a prized member, Tamrin Abdul Ghafar, quit the party after ditching Umno four years ago for PAS. Tamrin, the son of former deputy prime minister Tun Ghafar Baba, was said to be unhappy at the way PAS had handled the Selangor menteri besar impasse.

As long as PAS is under Hadi, there will be doubts about the party's loyalty to the PR coalition.

"The relationship between PAS, PKR and DAP will continue to be treading water if the central leadership is indecisive," said Wan Saiful.

"PAS should come out with a clear statement and vision, do they want to be in Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional?"

Universiti Utara Malaysia political analyst Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said the cracks within PR emerged during the Selangor saga.

"It became further evident following the recent Pengkalan Kubor by-election," Azizuddin told The Malaysian Insider.

"The situation was only salvaged because there are still quarters within PAS who want the party to remain with Pakatan Rakyat."

However, Azizuddin said the situation would worsen if PAS continued to press its agenda for Islamic criminal punishment, or hudud.

"If PAS continues with its efforts to table the implementation of hudud in Parliament, Pakatan Rakyat may finally break up due to differences of opinions and principles."

Hadi had previously been blamed as the main reason PAS lost control of Kedah in the 13th general election last year, with critics pointing at his inability to resolve internal differences.

Hadi ad also failed to defend Terengganu, which PAS had won in 1999 but lost after administering for a single term.

Internal opposition against Hadi has also become more pronounced with the founding of PasMa.

In the recent Selangor saga, the Islamic party suffered the most with two of their state assemblymen being suspended for disobeying party orders.

"Although Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) were both suspended for a year, it will not have an effect on the PR alliance," Chin said.

However, Chin said the scenario might alter drastically if both Saari and Hasnul decided to leave PAS and join PKR instead.

"This could turn into a full-blown crisis within PR if both the assemblymen exited PAS to join PKR," Chin told The Malaysian Insider. – October 17, 2014.