PAS has dignity problem - Ahmad Shabery

The people will raise questions on PAS's stand and dignity following the party's willingness to forget the insults hurled against it by DAP and PKR on the hudud issue, said UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said they were only interested to win the Permatang Pauh by-election for political expediency.

PAS's attitude, he said, was in question now as previously they were very vocal in rejecting the Barisan Nasional (BN) on the same issue.

"Why did PAS not react the same way to its partners in opposition pact?," he told reporters, Saturday.

Ahmad Shabery, who is also the Communications and Multimedia Minister, said this showed PAS was just a political party and did not uphold the party's Islamic ideals.

"If PAS members still support PKR, I think PAS has a dignity problem. Even though PKR had humiliated their president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang), PAS members still give support to PKR just for the sake of winning the by-election," he said.

"All this while PAS has rejected BN over the hudud issue, suddenly there is another party clearly rejecting hudud and are against them. In fact, there are certain quarters who want to take action on PAS assemblyman in Kelantan for wanting to implement hudud," he said.

On Friday, 50 members and supporters held a demonstrations after Friday prayers in front of the Batu Mosque, Kampung Pertama, Permatang Pauh to pressure Angkatan Muda Keadilan and DAP to withdraw their insulting statements to PAS president on hudud.

However, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub was reported as saying it was only an isolated case and PAS will continue to assist PKR's candidate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to win the by-election.

The Permatang Pauh by-election on May 7 will see a four-corner fight between Suhaimi Sabuding, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM)'s Azman Shah Othman and independent Salleh Isahak.

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The by-election was called after incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified as a member of parliament over his sodomy conviction. Anwar is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for sodomising his former personal aide.

Polling is on Thursday (May 7).

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