While several leaders were capable of taking on the mantle, Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Ariff Aizuddin Azlan said most in PAS believed that no one could compete with Hadi’s ability to unite the Islamic party.
“There will only be a change in leadership when Hadi himself feels like stepping down. Only then will a leadership transition take place.
“PAS will want to keep Hadi (as its president) regardless of the situation,” Ariff told FMT.
Hadi, a former Terengganu menteri besar, has been PAS president since 2002.
His health has declined over the past few years, which have seen the seven-term Marang MP undergoing dialysis and being admitted to hospital several times.
This led to suggestions that Hadi was no longer suitable to lead PAS, especially given the challenges ahead of the 16th general election.
He also stirred controversy within the non-Malay community through several statements, including one in 2022 where he allegedly cast non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras as being at the root of corruption.
However, several PAS leaders yesterday said Hadi’s leadership was essential to the party given his charisma, knowledge, and experience.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Azmil Tayeb believed that Hadi’s deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, was fit to take on the PAS presidency given his popularity among the more conservative factions within the party.
Azmil added that Tuan Ibrahim had personality and had displayed his commitment to PAS.
On the other hand, former Universiti Utara Malaysia analyst Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri believed PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was the best man to take over from Hadi.
Zaharuddin said PAS needed to take a different approach to win over voters in the next general election, and that it should take into account the possibility of going solo in the next nationwide polls.
“A combination of experienced leaders with the dynamism of younger technocrats is what PAS needs to face its future political challenges,” he said.
Hadi is PAS’s longest-serving president, having led the party through five general elections so far. He has often been compared with his predecessor, Fadzil Noor, and the party’s former spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, both of whom were said to be more liked by non-Muslim voters.
Hadi led PAS to its best-ever haul of 43 parliamentary seats in the 2022 general election.