The PAS candidate who withdrew from contesting against Umno leader Syed Hamid Syed Albar was described as someone without moral values by party president Abdul Hadi Awang today.

Abdul Hadi said the development was "a blessing from Allah to cleanse PAS from those who are not qualified to be party members".

The candidate Abu Bakar Sakak was supposed to challenge incumbent Syed Hamid for the Kota Tinggi parliamentary seat in Johor on March 21. The caretaker foreign affairs minister was the favourite to win in this Malay-majority seat.

In 1999, Syed Hamid defeated Keadilan's Rosdin Taha Rahman by a whopping majority of 32,161 votes. Syed Hamid obtained 37,906 votes as opposed to Rosdin's 5,651.

While PAS officials were tightlipped about the reason, malaysiakini reported yesterday that the candidate could have been 'threatened' but Kota Tinggi Umno leaders dismissed this possibility.

No peace

Meanwhile, Abdul Hadi said PAS candidates for the general election were screened and approved by the party's Majlis Syura (consultative council) before allowed to contest.

"They are also required to take a pledge of loyalty and those who break the pledge will find no peace on this earth and the hereafter," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

He said there were those who had broken the pledge in the past and were now leading a life of misery and hardship.

"This is Allah's way of helping us in our struggle based on the real foundations of Islam," added Abdul Hadi, who is also Terengganu menteri besar.

Sincere action

Commenting on the issue, Johor PAS Commissioner Dr Sanusi Daeng Mariok expressed surprise by the withdrawal but claimed that some of the party's candidates have been threatened.

"Some of our candidates have been threatened. I cannot say that they will be kidnapped but there are certainly under threats," he said.

On the same note, Sanusi added that some PAS members had sold themselves to Umno.

However, Abu Bakar ruled out that he was pressured to quit and added that he withdrew because Umno had been championing Islam.

"It's done with sincerity to ensure the Malays and other Muslims are united," said the 63-year-old pensioner, adding that a fight between Umno and PAS will only divide the community.