KOTA BARU: The oath of loyalty or 'bai'ah' practice should be extended to all election candidates in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition who want to contest in the future under the Pas ticket.
Pas spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin said this is to prevent a repeat incident like the one involving a member of parliament from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
He said Pas has introduced bai'ah among its assemblymen and MPs since the late Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's time.
"Pas needs to take the incident where two Bersatu MPs decided to declare their support for the Madani government, as a lesson.
"For me, this is the time where Pas needs to apply the same practice to election candidates especially from Bersatu if they want to contest in the future under the Islamic party's ticket," he said when contacted.
Meanwhile, Bersatu (Ketereh) MP, Datuk Khlir Nor said he does not believe that such bai'ah would prevent elected representatives from backing the current government.
"For me, all this is nonsense and the oath of loyalty is not a guarantee for any MP to remain loyal to the party.
"It all depends on the individual and his principles.
"Like me, l have been trained to be loyal to the nation and the country and will never disobey the leader's order," he told the New Straits Times.
The two were responding to a recent move by two Bersatu MPs from Kelantan, Azizi Abu Naim of Gua Musang and Zahari Kechik (Jeli) who recently pledged their support for the Prime Minister's administration.
Several Bersatu candidates have contested under the Pas's ticket in state elections in Kelantan and Terengganu.
