He said the decision was made at the grassroots level to support Muhammad Khalil Abdul, 40, who won the Youth chief post unopposed at the party’s Youth muktamar (general assembly) on Friday.

“I did not nominate my son. I did not ask him or any other family member to contest. What happened here was because of the nomination made by the party’s grassroots,” he said today.

“It is up to party members to select whoever they want,” he added at a press conference after the closing of the 63rd PAS general assembly at the Kedah PAS Complex in Kota Sarang Semut near here.

Khalil, who was previously the wing’s deputy chief, succeeds Nik Mohd Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, the son of PAS’ late spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Khalil will now hold the post from 2017 to 2019.

Hadi said although he had nothing to do with his son’s ascent in the party, he was hopeful that Khalil would champion the party’s struggles.

“Anyone would want his son to follow in the footsteps of his own struggle,” he said. “We would not want our children to disregard what we strive for.”

Hadi also hit out DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng for reportedly alleging that PAS had deviated from its political struggle by demonising its former allies in the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat.

In countering Lim’s allegations, Hadi said it was the DAP in fact that had gone astray politically and had no significant stand.

He said PAS had never changed its course since the day it was formed, pointing to the party’s pursuit to increase shariah law punishments by tabling the motion to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) in Parliament.

“We are the most consistent party. This is shown by our effort to amend Act 355,” he said, adding that DAP had objected to the move.