400 Pas members join Umno

A total of 396 hardcore Pas members in the Semerak state constituency have joined Umno, saying they were fooled by the so-called ‘Amanat Haji Hadi” (Haji Hadi Message) which branded Umno members and supporters as infidels.

Che Ngah Mat Hassan, 80, former head of security of the Kampung Lembah pollong district, and Ahmad Abu Bakar, 90, former head of security of the Semerak state constituency, had beem with Pas for the past 30 years.

“We were influenced by the Amanat Haji Hadi delivered by PAS speakers at mosques and during the election campaigns over the last 30 years,” said Che Ngah, who is also a former member of the Tahan Lasak Pas Youth, at an Amanat Haji Hadi information session in Kampung Lembah, here.

Che Ngah said he and his friends realised that the message, delivered in a speech by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in 1981, was mere political rhetoric and not a true Islamic teaching.

He said Pas had misled the people into believing that it was invalid to attend prayers where an Umno member was the imam and they had to be married again if the imam in the first instance was from Umno.

He also said that Pas had failed to provide proper infrastructure for the people, such as mosques, roads and bridges, as promised despite having been in power in Kelantan for 22 years.

Ahmad said he was also misled into believing that dead Umno members and supporters could not be buried in cemeteries meant for people from PAS leading to disunity among Muslim in his village.

Meanwhile, Pasir Puteh Umno Division Chief Zawawi Othman said more Pas members and supporters were joining Umni because they realised that they had been fooled by Pas.

“This extraordinary development has brightened the chances of Umno winning the Pasir Puteh parliamentary seat and the four state seats (Limbongan, Semerak, Gaal and Selising) within in the next general election,” he said.

There have been calls recently for Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and the party leadership to immediately withdraw the Amanat Haji Hadi to allow the Malys to reunite for the common good.