Fractures re-emerge within PAS over Sept 16 plan
Fractures are re-appearing between party spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Terengganu PAS Commisioner Mustafa Ali - which many thought had simmered down after PAS-Umno talks stalled .
The latest flare-up began with Mustafa's critique of Anwar Ibrahim's government takeover plans for Sept 16 - carried by PAS organ Harakah in their Sept 12 edition and Malay daily Utusan Malaysia on Sept 11.
An immediate response from Nik Aziz was to describe the party election chairperson as "Umno's mouthpiece" and "whose voice echoes that of the Umno president".
Nik Aziz went further to suggest that Terengganu PAS "had chosen the wrong person to be commissioner", ending with a query if Mustafa was set to quit PAS and join Umno.
His full statement was toned down in Harakah, and several mentions linking Mustafa to Umno were omitted. Mustafa is the chairperson of Harakah's board of directors.
Various blogs have been carrying the full version of Nik Aziz's statement.
Nik Aziz repeated his full criticism of Mustafa during a talk he delivered at PAS' training centre in Gombak last Sunday - two days after his controversial statements were published.Contacted by Malaysiakini on Monday, the Terengganu commissoner declined to comment.
Mustafa's initial analysis as reported by Harakah and Utusan on why the Sept 16 takeover was unlikely was based on two arguments. One, Parliament was not in session, therefore no vote of no-confidence could be conducted.Two, never before has any BN legislator ever crossed over.
Removal order
A Harakah journalist Wan Nordin Wan Yaacob - when he knew the Nik Aziz statement would not be carried in full - posted it in his blog on Sept 13. A day later he was asked to remove the statement by his chief executive officer Ahmad Lutfi Othman.
"Several excuses were given, but I am sure he (Ahmad Lufit) was faced with a dilemma. I sadly took out the said article and now feel the freedom to voice out has been restricted," said Wan Nordin in his blog.
Another journalist who wished to remain anonymous was contacted by a party leader who "requested that the issue was not played up". The Kelantan menteri besar's statement was described as extreme."I am just a small writer caught between the political ideologies of two factions..." said the journalist.
Wan Nordin, who wrote the article entitled Mursyidul am (Nik Aziz) wants Pakatan Rakyat strengthened: criticises Mustafa did not disclose which PAS leaders contacted him and the other journalist.
Malaysiakini could not reach Wan Nordin yesterday.
‘Against Muktamar'
The widely distributed statement showed Niz Aziz's concern about Harakah's support for Pakatan Rakyat's drive to topple the BN government
"I cannot imagine how Harakah can play its role as the party organ if this Terengganu PAS commissioner can take a stand that goes against the decision of the party muktamar (general assembly).
"I believe this will affect its discussions, news articles, stories and articles. What with the twice-weekly publication, this will erode Harakah's image even faster. Logically, this would lead to lower readership.
"I believe a decision needs to be made regarding this matter," said Nik Aziz.
There are those that argue that these are not the words of the spiritual leader but of the ‘Erdogan' faction - a reference to the younger moderate group led by PAS vice-president Husam Musa - which is aligned to Nik Aziz.
"I do not believe these are the words of Tuan Guru Nik Aziz or an expression of his thoughts and feelings."
"The Nik Aziz that we all know has never attacked anyone personally, what more a fellow PAS leader," reads an Anti-Husam blog which introduced the ‘Erdogan' term - referring to reformist Islamist Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
(However it has been confirmed that Nik Aziz did make the statement, and also used the term ‘standing ovation', in his speech at Gombak.)
