Speaking to FMT, Amanah Deputy President Salahauddin Ayub said the truth was that more PAS members were joining Amanah by the day.
“PAS is well aware of this,” he said.
“The fact that PAS has made stringent rules to scare their members, such as disallowing them to come to Amanah talks, goes to show that it’s afraid more will join us.”
Speaking in Kota Baru yesterday, Takiyuddin said that a former PAS leader had rejoined the Islamist party and that another would soon follow suit. He declined to name them.
Amanah’s Strategy Director, Dzulkefly Ahmad, also dismissed the claim, saying it was “wishful thinking” on Takiyuddin’s part.
He said that if any former PAS leader was indeed returning to the Islamist party, it would already be apparent to party members and the general public.
“Just name us one,” he said. “If he is talking about leaders, then we would certainly be aware. But I think he’ll find it hard to give us even one name.”
He said Takiyuddin, as his party’s secretary-general, should focus on the internal conflict between PAS President Hadi Awang and Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Man.
“There seems to be a sort of cold war between PAS’ number one and number two,” he said. “The number one is retrogressing and pushing for a more Malay-Muslim doctrine while the number two has shown a more accepting and progressive approach mirroring that of Amanah’s.
“What is very evident is that the number two, like many members of the PAS grasroots, sees Umno as the enemy, while the President and the Terengganu-linked faction seem to have lost their plot. They are sending very confusing messages of whether or not they want to bring an end to Umno-BN’s decadent regime.”
He said Takiyuddin would do well to get his party’s leaders back in line rather than spend his time worrying about Amanah.