Hamir (seated third left), Hadnan (seated third right), Vincent (seated second left) and Jaybee (seated second right) with the PAS committee members.
LABUAN: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) Labuan yesterday announced that they will stand by their decision to stand for the Labuan parliamentary seat representing Pakatan Rakyat in this coming election.
Despite the announcement made by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Friday at Kawang, Papar to put a PKR candidate in Labuan, PAS Labuan said they would not change their decision as the seat by tradition belongs to PAS.
PAS Labuan president Hamir Zahari said that PAS would be standing for 76 parliamentary seats nationwide, including Labuan.
“During the Pakatan Rakyat meeting back in 2011 at federal territory level, we had agreed that out of 13 parliamentary seats in federal territory, five of them belong to PKR, another five for DAP and the other three seats for PAS.
“So PAS will stand in Putrajaya, Titiwangsa and Labuan. The decision made by the central PAS committee was final and they had agreed to select Hadnan Hj Mohamad as Labuan PAS candidate.
“It means that our candidate will stand in this coming 13th general election here,” he said, adding that the central PAS committee had assigned two lawyers to come to Labuan on April 19 to help Labuan PAS in terms of law and election machinery.
Anwar had announced that businessman Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin is the PKR candidate for Labuan parliamentary seat.
Hamir said further that Labuan PAS is fully prepared to face this coming election, as they had launched their election machinery earlier and a team from central PAS would arrive on April 18 to help them in the campaign.
“We would also be helped by our wings such as the PAS Supporters Assembly (DHPP) comprising of non-Muslims, PAS Muslimat, PAS youth and other non-governmental organisations.
“With this kind of support and after the decision was made for us to stand here, there is no turning back for us not to contest in this election,” he said.
He said that in term of PAS’ integrity in Pakatan Rakyat, there was no question about that and they were committed 100 percent to the coalition.
“No member of parliament from PAS has ever jumped to another party and none has ever left the party,” he said.
Hamir recalled during the Pakatan Rakyat meeting recently in Penang, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had praised and saluted PAS for its members of parliaments’ integrity.
He also recalled that when there was a possibility that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) may deregister DAP from its list, even DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang had said that if the DAP was dissolved, he wanted to stand under PAS ticket in this election.
“PAS is well-known for its Islamic image, but it has never gone against the non-Muslims’ traditions or practices such as the tradition related to alcohol consumption.
“A good example is Kelantan. Even after 20 years in power, the biggest Buddha statue in this country is still looked fine in the state and liquors are sold only for the non-Muslims,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Territory PAS commissioner Hj Mohamad Nor bin Mohamad in his five-minute on-air speech to reporters said that the main goal of Pakatan Rakyat was to defeat the Umno and Barisan Nasional.
“Labuan is one of the important parliamentary seats to ensure that we can defeat the Barisan Nasional at other places and Labuan has a big potential of being won by the Pakatan Rakyat with a condition we are committed to the consensus.
“When we look at the consensus among the Pakatan Rakyat during a meeting back in 2011, all three parties of PAS, PKR and DAP had agreed that Labuan parliamentary seat belongs to PAS. Therefore, PAS will stick to its commitment in the coalition.
“To ensure a victory in Labuan we must stand in not more than a two-cornered fight against the Barisan Nasional. We must face Barisan Nasional in a one-to-one contest,” said Hj Mohamad.
The central vice president of PAS Supporters Assembly (DHPP), Vincent Lee, who was present, said that due to the strong winds of change nationwide and the belief of ‘Ini Kali Lah’ many individuals wanted to lobby to stand in many places.
“If it is a more than two-cornered contest in the constituency, then it will be a loss for us,” he said.
Also present were Labuan PAS candidate Hadnan Hj Mohamad, Labuan DHPP chief Jaybee Hie and other committee members of PAS wings.