Sec-gen apologises for PAS treatment of Gerakan president, tells grassroots to accept Dominic Lau’s candidacy for Bayan Lepas

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has apologised for the treatment of ally Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau last Tuesday in Penang.

The PAS man also called on the Islamist party’s grassroots members and supporters to accept and respect the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition’s decision to field Lau as its state election candidate for Bayan Lepas, a Malay-majority seat in Penang.

“In the context of choosing Lau as the Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Bayan Lepas state legislative assembly seat which is one that has a Malay majority, PAS is aware of the sentiments among members and supporters following Lau’s candidacy.

“However, PAS also believes that when a decision is made regarding the party with the agreement of its highest leadership through all processes and after meeting conditions, members and supporters must accept them with an open heart while placing their belief in the leadership of the party led by Hadi himself,” Takiyuddin said in a statement late last night.

He added that continued opposition will not only lead to a sense of disharmony within PN but also challenge and question the intelligence and accuracy behind PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Takiyuddin said PAS believes it has a duty to offer aid and protection to Gerakan, in line with its role as the country’s largest and oldest Islamist party.

As such, he said grassroots members should have accepted Lau’s presence at last Tuesday’s PAS mega ceramah in Penang that was also attended by Hadi.

“Besides that, he should be given due and reasonable respect because Gerakan is also a coalition partner in PN and he is a candidate in the state elections,” Takiyuddin said.

A video of Lau purportedly being asked to leave the PAS ceramah last Tuesday night was posted online and widely circulated social media platforms earlier this week, leading to rumours about a rift in PN in the run-up to the August 12 state elections.

Lau has since denied that he was asked to leave the ceramah as reported, even as he acknowledged that Gerakan was not invited to attend the event.

Yesterday, he said that he was there to meet Hadi as a fellow PN leader and to discuss their coalition’s election strategy and left because there was insufficient time.

Lau is challenging Penang Amanah vice-chairman Azrul Mahathir Aziz, who is also the incumbent Bayan Lepas assemblyman, in the state election.