The party’s supporters are now questioning the leadership’s attitude towards long-time foe Umno, says Terengganu Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Terengganu PH chairman Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said the neutral stance advocated by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had made the party seem inconsistent in its political stance.
“PAS supporters in Terengganu are beginning to feel strange,” he told FMT.
“They feel their party is like a component of BN because it’s always adopting a neutral stance in Parliament and not criticising in the state assembly.
“The supporters see their representatives, either in Parliament or the state assembly, not using their opportunities (to hit out at BN).
“They now understand better why we in Amanah left PAS.”
Raja Bahrin said the religious sentiments exploited by PAS as a weapon in Terengganu were no longer effective among voters, unlike in previous elections.
“Many issues they used as bait are not so attractive now,” he said.
“The classic issue is the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act bill promoted by Hadi in the Dewan Rakyat. They used to hold processions here and there on the bill but nothing has come out of it.”
The PAS president tabled a motion in the Dewan Rakyat in May last year seeking debate on his private member’s bill to increase punishments for various shariah offences.
According to Raja Bahrin, many PAS supporters in Terengganu looking for an alternative political platform were approaching PH.
He said the BN was also struggling with leadership problems with the frequent change in menteri besar.
Idris Jusoh, who became menteri besar in 2004 after BN wrested the state from PAS, was replaced with Ahmad Said in 2008 who in turn gave way to Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman in 2014.
In Terengganu, currently, Umno holds 17 state seats to 14 by PAS and one by PKR, while at parliamentary level PAS and Umno have four seats each and Amanah one.
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