Latest news with #AmarAbdullah
Malaysiakini
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Zaid decodes PAS: 'They want Hamzah, not Muhyiddin as PM'
Reading between the lines of PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah's remarks, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim believes the Islamist party is backing Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainuddin over his superior Muhyiddin Yassin as its preferred prime minister candidate for the next general election. He told Malaysiakini this when asked to elaborate on his post on X titled 'PAS' magnanimity, Bersatu's moment of truth'.
Free Malaysia Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Rumours of Hadi's exit fuel Amar's nomination for PAS No 2
The number of nominations Amar Abdullah receives will depend on whether Abdul Hadi Awang stays on as PAS president or takes a break, says an analyst. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Amar Abdullah's nomination for PAS deputy president may be part of a broader change being contemplated for the party's leadership, say analysts. Political analysts Mazlan Ali and Azmi Hassan said Amar's elevation was being strategically considered, should Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man step up to lead PAS in the event that Abdul Hadi Awang does not defend his presidency at the party polls in September. 'The nomination for deputy president stems from speculation that Hadi will make way,' Azmi, of Akademi Nusantara, told FMT. Hadi, 77, has led PAS since June 2002, and there has been growing speculation over his succession amid concerns about his health. Amar's nomination was recently proposed by Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth information chief Sazwan Sakri, and received unanimous support from the wing's delegates. However, Amar said he would decide whether to accept the nomination once he receives formal notification from the party's central election committee, which will verify whether each candidate has garnered enough nominations from the grassroots divisions. Mazlan said the deputy president race could see a multi-cornered fight, potentially involving fellow vice-presidents Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Idris Ahmad, as well as PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan. 'Traditionally in PAS, the deputy presidency goes to someone with a professional background,' the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia associate professor said. The post was last contested in 2015, when Tuan Ibrahim unseated then-incumbent Mohamad Sabu, who later left PAS to form Amanah. Mohamad had held the position since 2011, taking over from academic-turned-politician Nasharudin Mat Isa. Azmi said Amar's chances hinged on whether Hadi stayed or stepped down. 'If the status quo remains with Hadi as president and Tuan Ibrahim as deputy, it will be difficult for Amar to gain enough nominations. 'The grassroots are wary of internal splits, which happened in PAS and PKR in 2015,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
PAS Youth division nominates VP Amar for party's No 2 post
PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah is said to have had a major role in shaping the new generation of PAS leaders. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The youth wing of a PAS division in Kelantan has nominated party vice-president Amar Abdullah as a candidate for the deputy president's post when the party holds its elections in September. Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth information chief Sazwan Sakri said Amar, the former Kelantan deputy menteri besar, had extensive experience and has showcased strong leadership at divisional, state and central level. Sazwan said Amar has also played a major role in guiding the next generation of PAS leaders in the Islamic party's struggle, Utusan Malaysia reported. 'The nomination is not aimed at sparking a tussle for party posts, but to recognise the big role he has played. It also reflects the maturity of Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth in courteously expressing support (for Amar),' he was quoted as saying. In February, a PAS source told FMT that the party is likely to hold a contest for its top two posts at its elections this year, for the first time in a decade. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man have not been challenged for the posts since the 2015 party polls. Speculation about Hadi stepping down due to health reasons has been making the rounds. At the same time, there are rumours that Tuan Ibrahim, who is Pahang opposition leader, also intends to make way for new leadership, although there have been calls from the pro-ulama faction for him to defend his post and seek re-election as PAS deputy president.
Free Malaysia Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Amar to decide on PAS deputy presidency only after official notice
On Saturday, Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth nominated Amar Abdullah as a candidate for the party's No 2 post at its elections to be held in September. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah was coy about contesting for the deputy presidency, saying he would only decide once he receives a notice from the party's election committee of his candidacy. On Saturday, Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth nominated Amar as a candidate for the party's No 2 post at its elections to be held in September. Amar said the election committee would contact the candidates if it received a sufficient number of nominations, Berita Harian reported. 'They (the committee) will inform us if we fulfil the requirements,' he said when asked if he would accept the nomination for the deputy presidency. Pengkalan Chepa PAS Youth information chief Sazwan Sakri said Amar, the former Kelantan deputy menteri besar, had extensive experience and had showcased strong leadership at divisional, state and central levels. Sazwan said Amar had also played a major role in guiding the next generation of PAS leaders in the party's struggle. In February, a PAS source told FMT the party was likely to hold a contest for its top two posts at its elections in September, for the first time in a decade. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man have not been challenged for the posts since the 2015 party polls. There has been speculation that Hadi will step down because of health reasons. At the same time, there are rumours that Tuan Ibrahim, who is the Pahang opposition leader, also intends to make way for new leadership, although there have been calls from the pro-ulama faction for him to defend his post.
Free Malaysia Today
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
PAS can't capitalise on non-Malay discontent with govt, say analysts
PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah recently said that the party plans to woo disgruntled non-Malays who are becoming more critical of the PH-led government. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Analysts are sceptical of PAS's ability to win over non-Malay voters, even as frustration with Pakatan Harapan (PH) grows as the Islamic party is not positioned to capitalise on their discontent with the unity government. Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University says PAS and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition it leads continues to operate within a 'zero-sum paradigm', where political gains for non-Muslims are seen as losses for Muslims, and vice versa—an approach deeply ingrained in their electoral strategy. Wong Chin Huat. 'This paradigm makes (PAS's) competition against PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) most effective,' he told FMT, adding however that PAS and PN will not win non-Malay support if they continue to rely on it. Wong was commenting on PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah's recent claim that the party was looking to woo non-Malay voters who have become disillusioned with the PH-led unity government. He acknowledged that frustration towards the government and PH has led some non-Malays to be more outspoken about governance failures. However, he said PAS is in no position to capitalise on the discontent. This, said Wong, was primarily due to PAS's perceived doublespeak. 'Non-Muslims feel cheated whenever PAS talks about winning their votes,' he said, referring to contradictions in the party's messaging. He cited Abdul Hadi Awang as an example, saying the PAS president presents himself as a multiculturist only at Chinese New Year. ''Every Chinese New Year, Hadi would wear red, visit his Chinese in-laws and tell us he is all for multiculturalism. Once CNY is over, he would talk about the threat of Christianisation or that non-Muslims should be dhimmis (second-class citizens),' said Wong. Syaza Shukri. Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia, believes that although many non-Malay voters have been critical of PH recently, they remain wary of PN's conservatism. 'I do not think these PH supporters would support PN in its current form. Although they want a 'clean' party, they won't compromise on other progressive issues like equality and inclusivity,' she said. Syaza said that unless PAS revives the more inclusive approach it adopted under the leadership of Fadzil Noor in the early 2000s—akin to what Amanah is doing today—it will struggle to broaden its base. 'To be honest…the party is not going for any big reforms. They want to continue as they are and play the long game. 'Their manifesto is just to show that an 'Islamic' party and government is okay, and they'll continue with that. Any major reforms would disrupt their momentum.'
