Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said the PAS deputy presidency should be the focus of this year’s party elections, given that contest for the president’s post – held by Abdul Hadi Awang since 2002 – seemed out of the question.
Syaza said the deputy president was naturally seen as next in line for the presidency, and that whoever held the position could become Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) prime minister candidate in the next general election (GE16).
This is especially if PAS wins the most parliamentary seats in PN again, she told FMT.
“No one would dare take on Hadi (for the party presidency) so to me, having a race for the deputy president’s post would allow PAS to look for a future leader.
“It is time that PAS thinks about having a prime minister candidate, given the party’s strong position in PN,” she said, noting that PAS’s 43 seats in the Dewan Rakyat were the most held by a single political party.
The PAS president’s post was last contested during the 2015 muktamar, where Hadi defeated Ahmad Awang, now of Amanah, to defend the post.
That same year, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was elected as PAS deputy president, beating then incumbent Mohamad Sabu, who is now the Amanah president.
PAS elections are held every two years. At the last party polls, there was no contest for the top five posts, with the vice-presidencies won unopposed by Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Idris Ahmad, and Amar Abdullah in 2023.
Samsuri, the two-term Terengganu menteri besar, has been touted as a possible prime minister candidate, with pundits describing him as a technocrat and a more moderate PAS leader.
But while Samsuri may be favoured by some for the deputy presidency, Syaza said it remained unclear if he would be the main choice going up against Tuan Ibrahim.
Izani Zain of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu however said that Samsuri could win the post as he would boost PAS’s appeal among professionals.
“PAS would have a bright future with a political figure like Samsuri. It’s time that the party fields professionals who can lead (the party) in this challenging world,” he added.
Izani also said that Hadi should be challenged for the presidency to determine if PAS’s grassroots still wanted him at the helm.
However, he said this was unlikely to happen unless the Marang MP chose not to defend his post.