A motion to debate a resolution by the Ulama Council of PAS that all senior positions in the party - the president's, the deputy president's and one vice-president's post - be reserved to the ulama (religous scholars) has been rejected.

pas muktamar 55 agm assembly 050609 02 PAS Muktamar Debate Resolutions Committee chairman Mahfuz Omar said today the motion from the Ulama Council was thrown out as it did not follow procedures.

Mahfuz, who is also PAS information chief, said the proposed motion also did not fulfill all the criteria that would allow it be debated at the on-going 55th PAS Muktamar in Gombak, Selangor.

He added the motion would have to be discussed at the PAS central committee level first as it involved amendments to the party's constitution.

The motion to reserve senior posts in the party for the ulama was tabled by PAS Terengganu's Ulama Council last night.

Advice to both ulama and professionals

Meanwhile, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang asserted at a press conference that the Islamic party’s ulama (religious scholars) and professional factions will continue to work together.

pas muktamar 55 agm 050609 01 Commenting on the rejection of the motion to debate the Ulama Council’s resolution, Abdul Hadi said: “I’ve not gone through the motion completely yet... but PAS will manage with the cooperation of both the ulama and the professional factions.

“We will be able to work together as long as the ulama do not become dictators and the professionals do not become too greedy,” stressed Hadi following his keynote address at PAS' 55th Muktamar in Shah Alam.

Most importantly, no matter who is in charge of PAS, it must be understood that the religious scholars should not be sidelined in party, said its leader.

The secret meetings between PAS and Umno have driven a wedge between party members, forcing them to choose between the ulama faction, which is in favour of the unity talks, and the professional faction, which prefers closer ties with Pakatan.

Hadi: Pakatan members back unity talks

Hadi, who bagged the party's presidency uncontested, took pains to explain his proposal for a unity government.

He said PAS will continue to encourage dialogues with all parties and added that while its Pakatan coalition partners - PKR and DAP - were

not eager to jump straight away into such talks, they have however reacted positively to the idea .

pas muktamar 55 agm 050609 02 “(It is) not just members of Pakatan who support us fully but also members of Umno, who want our cooperation to work together in solving the problems confronting the country,” he insisted.

Moreover, he also refuted questions that PAS' engagement with Umno would raise problems within the opposition coalition.

“To engage in dialogues is part of the democratic process... the priority should be placed on what is good for the people and the country,” he said.

“But we don't want to undertake this matter hurriedly. We need to study it in detail in our effort to promote unity between the political parties in this country,” said Abdul Hadi.

VIDEO l 13 mins

DAP supremo refutes Hadi's claims