Party hoppers must quit seats - PAS president

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang today insisted that its elected representatives must quit their seats if they joined other parties including the soon-to-be formed Parti Amanah Rakyat (Amanah).

According to him, this was clearly stated in the Bai'ah (oath) they took when contesting on PAS tickets in the elections, failing which they would be cursed by Allah.

"PAS champions Islam. If I were to break the Bai'ah, I will be cursed by Allah. As Allah is my witness, the same applies to the others," he said at a party function here.

Also present were PAS' elections director Datuk Mustafa Ali, former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Terengganu PAS commissioner, Satiful Bahri Mamat.

Abdul Hadi was referring to several PAS lawmakers who have openly announced that they were "abandoning ship" to join Amanah, which will be led by former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

Meanwhile, Mustafa told a press conference later that PAS would continue to cooperate with its Pakatan Rakyat partner PKR but not with its other partner the DAP or the new party Amanah.

However, he said PAS could not stop PKR with collaborating with the other two parties (DAP and Amanah).

Pakatan Rakyat is in power in the states of Selangor, Penang and Kelantan.