Decision to field Gerakan chief in Malay-majority seat should be accepted by all, says PAS

PAS today apologised for an incident in which Gerakan president Dominic Lau was given a chilly reception at a Perikatan Nasional (PN) election event in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, also attended by its leader Abdul Hadi Awang. 

Although Lau reportedly denied claims that he had been asked to leave by a local PAS leader, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said he should have been received and appreciated as a guest, in line with Islamic principles. 

Acknowledging sentiments among PAS members and supporters at the local level about Lau's candidacy for Bayan Lepas, a Malay-majority seat, Takiyuddin nevertheless said that the decision to field him should be accepted by all.

"I urge the PAS members in question to realise that continued resistance and acts that go against party interests could not only cause disharmony in PN, but also question the wisdom and appropriateness of the decisions by the PAS president himself," he said. 

PN component Bersatu previously admitted some dispute over the decision to nominate Lau, the PN deputy chairman, as the coalition's candidate for Bayan Lepas. 

"Many felt that the seat was better suited for a Malay candidate, but that is the beauty of PN, in which we field a non-Malay in a Malay-majority constituency," Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said. 

"So, no reason to fret. Although there was some dispute initially, once nominations were settled, the situation cooled off and we are confident of securing Malay support."

In his statement today, Takiyuddin said Gerakan was a PN component and that Lau, as a candidate for the elections, should be shown the appropriate respect. 

"In the current political atmosphere which is being tainted by chauvanist and extreme narratives, as the oldest and biggest Islamist party, PAS believes that we have the responsibility not just to show a mature and moderate political direction, but to give help and protection to those in need. 

"Against this backdrop, PAS sees Lau and his party such a group, so I once again urge PAS members to offer all the help they can in the name of true friendship and solidarity."