PAS not slighted over Mat Sabu's 'Pendekar Mustar' labelling

PAS is not slighted over the 'Pendekar Mustar' labelling by Parti Amanah Rakyat (Amanah) following the Islamist party leaders donning Malay warrior attire during the opening of PAS Youth's Muktamar (general assembly) in Kota Baharu earlier this week.

Instead, its deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party was proud of the attire.

"This is the thinking of negative people, everything is negative to them. If we were to look at it positively, then it will be positive," he told reporters after the nomination process for the Sungai Besar parliamentary by-election at Dewan Seri Bernam here today.

The 'Pendekar Mustar' label was given by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu when announcing the party's candidate for the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition in Sekinchan here on Wednesday.

'Pendekar Mustar' refers to a silat teacher in the comedy movie Pendekar Bujang Lapok starred by local cinematic icon the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee in the late 1950s.

Tuan Ibrahim also rubbished claims the attire was used to gain traction with UMNO saying it was Malay traditional attire which did not belong to any political party.

In KUALA KANGSAR, PAS vice president Idris Ahmad said the DAP's support for Amanah in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-electionS would only favour the Barisan Nasional.

"Amanah knows it is weak but where PAS is contesting, it also wants to join the fray. It appears as though Amanah wants to give the BN a "leg up"," he told reporters after the nomination process.

However, he said that he was confident that PAS would garner more votes than Amanah in both by-elections.

The by-elections were were called after the incumbents Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon (Sungai Besar) and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad (Kuala Kangsar) were killed in helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak, on May 5.

The Sg Besar seat is a three-cornered fight involving BN, PAS and Amanah while it is a four-cornered fight for Kuala Kangsar with the BN challenged by PAS, Amanah and an Independent.

Polling for both by-elections is on June 18.