PIX: Ili Shazwani
ALOR STAR: Kedah Pas is not rushing to take disciplinary action against three elected representatives dubbed the “harumanis group” who attended the opening of the Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) national convention recently.
Its commissioner Dr Ahmad Fakhrudin Syeikh Fakhrurazi hinted that the trio, namely Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Kedah state legislative assembly Opposition leader Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and Kubang Rotan assemblyman Mohd Nasir Mustaffa, will be dropped as the party’s candidates in the next general election (GE14).
As such, he said there is no urgency to take action against them for the time being
"They are like overripe fruits, just waiting to fall from the trees.
“There is just a short while to go (before the GE14), so just let them be... there is no need to take action against them," Fakhrudin said during a press conference at the Kedah Pas machineries gathering launched by Pas deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man at its headquarters here on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Mahfuz has dismissed suggestions that he will be jumping ship to PAN, due to an unsettling relationship with the Pas leadership.
He said his presence at PAN’s national convention was a show of support for the Pakatan Harapan pact.
Several days after his controversial attendance at the event, Mahfuz, the former Pas information chief, issued a statement that he would not contest for Pas even if he were offered to do so, and that he was not worried that the party would drop him as its candidate in the next general election.
Like Mahfuz, Amiruddin, who is also the Anak Bukit assemblyman, said his presence at the event was to lend support to PAN and Pakatan Harapan members, but that he has no intention of leaving Pas.
Nasir on the other hand, pledged his loyalty to Pas despite attending the PAN convention.
On another note, Fakhrudin announced that Pas will continue to carry out measures to help lessen the people's financial burden, as was initiated during the administration of the late Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Razak, if the Islamist party is given the mandate to helm the government in the next general election.
Among the measures which would be continued are the Sekampit Beras Untuk Penoreh (a sack of rice for rubber tappers), the Sekampit Beras Sejahtera programme, which is aimed at the poor, and khairiat assistance for next-of-kin to pay for funeral ceremony expenses for their loved ones.
He added that the party is planning to increase the khairiat aid from RM500 to RM750.
"We will announce the rest of our manifesto in stages," he added.
