Ousting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and the ulama faction would be the last thing that anyone will push for at the muktamar this week, more so the Erdogans.  

This is because the ulama led leadership is too entrenched into the party that if one were to try to oust Hadi, it would mean they would be against the grassroots and would definitely perish.

“Even if the ulama factions led by Hadi try to oust us, we will bow to them - for now - for the sake of the party,” revealed a few PAS leaders from the Erdogan faction, who preferred to remain unidentified. 

The four, from the progressive faction of the party, and with secular education, said they know that many outside of PAS are eager to see an open war between the ulama faction and the progressive faction popularly known as Erdogans.

In recent weeks, especially in the Selangor menteri besar saga, there has been many public flare-ups between the two and much tit for tat. 

The ulama faction had also argued that the constitution allows Hadi to have the final say and that the Ulama syura council can override the PAS central committee. 

No butting of heads

The truth is, say Erdogan leaders, there will be no such butting of heads. In fact, they said, the muktamar later this week will be more of a pledging for the leadership and a coming together. 

The ulama and Erdogan factions have been seen to be at odds over whether PAS should follow the decision by coalition partners DAP and PKR to choose Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( left ) to replace Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim. 

Erdogans say that PAS factions must also close gaps to ensure the victory for PAS in the September 23 by-election at Pengkalan Kubor, Kelantan.

“Showing we are further divided in the muktamar is not going to help us. Kelantan is PAS’ fort and that (Pengkalan Kubor) is one of the few seats that Umno had won in the last general election.

"If we ever move away from Pakatan, Kelantan is the only guaranteed win for PAS, and we cannot afford to lose Kelantan,” said the Erdogan leaders.

The said that they are looking at the long term.

"One must understand PAS' way of doing things in the party. We are very different from the other political parties, even from other opposition parties. We move slowly and calculate our steps.

"We know if we push against Hadi this muktamar, we will be finished off by the grassroots. If we ever want to do so, it will be done without anyone realising it is being done - silently.

“One must remember that the ulama leadership is deeply entrenched in the party for more than 20 years now. The reverence for ulamas is too strong among the grassroots. 

“Hadi is known as the president who will make special prayers before he decides on anything. The ulamas can do no wrong, in the eyes of the grassroots and whatever they say, even if the grassroots do not agree, they will try to justify it using Islam, as is the style of ulama faction. We have yet to have the culture of questioning ulamas. 

“Hadi is foremost a revered religious teacher, even though he is a politician. And to the common PAS member, the ulama has much knowledge, is a pious man and therefore one who has no religious knowledge, must not question the ulamas. 

“Yes, we have many professionals among our members but the mentality and culture is such that one must not be seen to defy the ulamas,” said the PAS leaders.

They said it is almost impossible to taint the image of Hadi when it comes to politics of the party.

“For the grassroots, whatever the ulamas do are supposedly guided by religion and it would be very difficult for us to spoil that image in the mind of the grassroots.”

Now not the time

Another leader said that if at all they want to oust Hadi, this is not the time and not over the Selangor menteri besar saga. 

"The dust will settle over the menteri besar saga and PAS will return to the coalition. It will be the votes for PAS in the next general election which will send the message to him and his gang. We are like family in PAS.

“We will not give a bloody nose to a family member in public. Even if we were to bicker in public as we did over the Selangor MB issue, but if Hadi decided that we must leave Pakatan, even those who disagree will follow.”

The Erdogan leaders say they are speaking anonymously as they still have much to do in PAS to educate grassroot members and that they believe PAS is going through a phase. 

"It will be better after this ordeal (Selangor MB saga) and now is the fermentation and cleansing stage. But we will work on the educating the grassroots on the need to question ulamas and leaders - albeit quietly,” said one of the four.

On whether the newly formed PAS-linked NGO Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) - which is fighting  to keep PAS in Pakatan at all costs - will be used to unseat Hadi, the four leaders said PasMa is not their vehicle. 

“We will work from within and the changes will come surely but slowly. We are an old party, we must walk slowly or we will break,” said the leader. 

Muslimat leaders, when asked, said that they will not allow anyone to oust the leaders, even if the leaders were presumed to have belittled Wan Azizah’s capability as menteri besar because she is a woman. 

"He may not have wanted Wan Azizah, even though she is very much like us. But in PAS, we must "akur" (obey) to the party and obeying means to give completely as long as we do not go against God and his prophet. 

“We are family and we will stay with the family, no matter what. We Muslimats are very loyal to the party leaders. How many Muslimat leaders have you heard who have spoken out against Hadi or the ulamas?

"It is not that we don’t dare but we keep our family feuds inside,” said the Muslimat leader.