Dynasty in making: Khalil in line for PAS top post?

With PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s son getting the most votes in last weekend’s muktamar in Kuala Terengganu, there is much talk that Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi is in line to helm the party.

Political analyst Professor Sivamurugan Pandian from the school of social sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia said it could be Hadi’s dream to groom his son for the party’s top post.

“However, it is unclear how influential Hadi was in his son’s victory on Sunday. At the same time, we cannot deny that Khalil is also active in the party and in politics.”

Khalil came up tops in the central committee polls, garnering 884 votes, while former plantation industries and commodities minister Khairuddin Aman Razali and son of late PAS leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz failed to make it to the top 18.

When asked why the delegates did not elect Nik Abduh, Sivamurugan said: “Nik Abduh is not the Tok Guru himself so he has to first make himself an outstanding figure in politics.”

“Nik Abduh has to be like PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, who stepped out of her father’s shadow and shone on her own. Nik Abduh was also found to be close to Umno rather than PAS itself.”

Sivamurugan added that marriages of convenience are normal in politics as PAS has abandoned Umno and joined with Perikatan Nasional in the Melaka election – a political move to suit the current situation.

On Khairuddin’s defeat at the party polls, he said Hadi wants his party members to toe the line and does not want detractors.

Khairuddin had said the defeat was “normal” and denied claims that a leaked audio recording of him deriding Hadi was the reason for his ouster.

“Opportunistic enemies created the audio recording,” Khairuddin allegedly said.

USM school of social sciences senior lecturer Azmil Tayeb said that in PAS, loyalty to the party and its ideology is more important than family ties.

“Having the pedigree of being the scions of PAS leaders helps but it’s not the defining factor. There’s also the culture of wala’ (absolute loyalty to leaders). If the leaders decide what’s best for the party, members have no choice but to obey.”

On Nik Aziz, he said: “Yes, the party does glorify him. There’s a museum in Kota Baru dedicated to him. That said, his children are judged against the standard set by the father. In PAS, Nik Aziz is seen as the ideal Islamic leader.”

“But I have no idea of what’s going on with Khairuddin’s loss. My guess is that he has courted too much negative attention in the past one and a half years, which has reflected badly on PAS, such as his trip to Turkey with his wife and the roadblock flare-up.”

Also among the top five in the central polls were Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor who was second (877 votes), followed by Kamaruzaman Mohamad (872), Khairil Nizam Khirudin (844), and Riduan Mohd Noor (841).

The others elected were Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad (822), Halimah Ali (774), Datuk Mohd Fadzli Hassan (736), Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (707), Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud (706), Najihatussalehah Ahmad (695), Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (688), Azman Ibrahim (679), Nasrudin Hassan (645), Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed (615), Aliakbar Gulasan (613), Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed (609) and Rosni Adam (609).

The three vice-president posts were retained by incumbents Idris Ahmad (1,164 votes), Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah (956), and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (778).

The presidency and deputy presidency remained unchallenged and retained by Hadi and Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. They will hold these posts until 2023. TV