PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said they respected the right of each party to resolve its own issues.
PETALING JAYA: PAS has opted to stay out of Bersatu’s leadership crisis, despite calls for the Islamic party to end the ongoing feud by declaring which faction in Muhyiddin Yassin’s party they were siding with.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said they would never interfere in the internal affairs of its Perikatan Nasional ally.
“We respect the right of each party to resolve its own issues,” he told FMT.
On Sunday, Kota Melaka Bersatu chief Hishamuddin Karim called on PAS to wade into the infighting, saying their official stance could clear up any confusion.
It is believed that Hishamuddin was alluding to the perception that PAS was more in favour of other leaders in Bersatu taking charge of the opposition coalition instead of Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.
Suspended Bersatu Supreme Council member Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal had previously claimed that PAS was more inclined to back the party’s deputy president, Hamzah Zainudin.
Tensions in Bersatu were sparked following the sacking of Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and the suspension of Wan Fayhsal for allegedly breaching the party’s constitution and code of conduct.
Bersatu’s disciplinary board has also expelled four division chiefs – Azrudin Idris (Hang Tuah Jaya), Faizal Asmar (Pengerang), Fadhli Ismail (Ipoh Timur) and Isa Saidi (Ampang).
The move has triggered unease among party members, with 16 Bersatu MPs signing a letter dated Oct 23 urging Muhyiddin to address what they described as “internal issues” to prevent the party from “falling victim to the ego of any individual leader”.
This isn’t the first time PAS has steered clear from the internal strife plaguing Bersatu.
In September, Tuan Ibrahim refused to wade into the spat between Wan Saiful and Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali, saying that “every political party has its own mechanism to address such matters”.
Wan Saiful had launched a scathing attack on Azmin, claiming that he was unfit to lead Bersatu in view of a 2019 controversy remaining unresolved.
PAS election director Sanusi Nor also declined to comment, saying they did not want to interfere in Bersatu’s affairs.
