Pas seeks bloggers’ views to choose candidate for KT

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 17 — — Bernama

Pas will consider all views, including bloggers’, in determining the candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election on Jan 17, its president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang said.

He described the choice of candidate as the single most important aspect in facing the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the by-election.

“We will even consider views conveyed through poison-pen letters,” he said when met on the sidelines of the Terengganu state legislative assembly sitting.

“Pas is now scrutinising potential candidates and is waiting for reports from branches and divisions,” he said, adding that a meeting would be held on Saturday to discuss the selection of candidate.

He said that a candidate’s leadership calibre would be a determining factor in the urban constituency as issues such as infrastructure was no longer a major problem for the constituents.

He said that Pas’ initial assessment showed that the party could win the seat.

On Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s suggestion that Pas vice-president Mohamad Sabu be re-nominated to contest the seat, Abdul Hadi said, the party would listen to all views.

“As party president, I have no problem with Mohamad Sabu; but in the end, it will depend on the decision of the majority,” he said.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail on Nov 28.

In Kota Baharu, Nik Abdul Aziz expressed confidence that Pas would be able to win the seat by a comfortable margin.

He said he had no doubt that the candidate chosen would be the best.

Furthermore, he said, there was nothing that Umno could do that Pas could not.

“If you talk about development, we can also implement development. If it’s about the interest of the Malays, we too are able to care for the interest of the Malays,” he told reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting.

He said Pas had also been receiving support from the non-Muslim community and there were even Pas supporters’ clubs set up by members of the Chinese and Indian community.