10 theSun | FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 2009

news without borders

Zainon Ahmad at the Dewan Rakyat

Respite for Education Ministry

THE House refused to debate the
tragedy of three primary school girls
who drowned in a fast-flowing river
near Kampar when the brand new
suspension bridge they were on with
about 30 others collapsed on Monday
night. The rest were lucky.
Requests to debate what had hap-
pened in the incident at a 1Malaysia
camp in which 298 pupils from 60
schools took part, were turned down
as a committee headed by Education
Ministry director-general Tan Sri
Alimuddin Mohd Dom was already
investigating the matter.
Had the debate been allowed by
the Speaker, the Education Ministry
would have had to respond imme-
diately to such queries as whether
pupils crossing the bridge were
supervised by teachers and whether
the safety aspect of using the bridge
was considered when deciding the
camp site.
But as it stands, the public will
have to wait until the committee
completes its work. Of course, MPs
are free to broach the subject during
the ongoing debate on Budget 2010.
And in responding to points raised
on his ministry’s estimates in about
a fortnight, the education minister
would probably shed light on what
happened near SK Kuala Dipang that
night.
Of course, some people want to
know immediately. But the Speaker
knows best.
On Monday, Opposition Leader
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kicked
off the debate on the RM191.5 bil-
lion Budget 2010 which was tabled
by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Razak in his capacity as finance
minister last Friday, by calling it a
“short-term” government policy that
benefited concessionaires more than
the people.
He criticised the government’s
reliance on Petronas and said the oil
company’s contribution had doubled
from 2005 to 2009, while the volume
of petroleum and gas reserves had
not changed although operating
costs had tripled during the same
period.
Anwar said the people were
not enjoying the full fruits of rev-
enue earned by the country due to
government mismanagement as
highlighted by the auditor-gener-
al’s report tabled last week.
Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh
(BN-Kalabakan) interjected to say
the opposition leader was giving the
impression that only opposition par-
ties care about the people’s interests
and welfare. He said this was not
true as the Barisan Nasional cares
the most.
On the annual RM50 and RM25
sales tax to be imposed on credit
card holders (principal and sup-
plementary), Datuk Ahmad Hamzah
(BN-Jasin) on Tuesday said banks
should absorb the tax as they enjoy
good profits from the service.
He said that if banks were not
prepared to do this, the least they
could do was to absorb it for one
year, especially when the tax comes
into force next year.
On Wednesday, Tony Pua (DAP-
PJ Utara) said in his debate that
the general election is likely to be
in 2011, judging from the “drastic
increase” in emoluments and pen-
sion allocations in the budget.
He told civil servants not to be too
concerned about not getting bonuses
this year as the government is going
to announce a generous reward for
them next year, “and after that in
2011 there will be the general elec-
tion”.
The first term MP said this even
though Najib in a written reply to
Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah)
had already said there was not
going to be a snap election any time
soon and that his call to recapture
Selangor was merely a message to
BN leaders to work hard to win the
people’s support.
In response to the call by Hamim
Samuri (BN-Ledang) for more
efforts to be made for a single-
school system, Pua said he would
agree to it at the secondary level if
there were no more Mara second-
ary schools.
Datuk Ismail Kassim (BN-
Arau) said it was most unfortu-
nate that some people had to suffer
as a result of the overzealousness of
some officials in implementing the
Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001.
He said there had been complaints
and suggested that the government
take a closer look at the implementa-
tion of the Act and maybe even make
some amendments to it.
To this, he received the support
of Ahmad, Datuk Bung Mokhtar
Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) and
Mohd Yusmadi Yusof (PKR-
Balik Pulau).
Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Independent-
Pasir Mas), who contested under a
PAS ticket in last year’s general elec-
tion but had since become a bitter
rival of the party, also spoke at length
including calling for the establish-
ment of more religious schools so
that there will be more morally
upright people in the country.
He took a swipe at Anwar, calling
him a frog when he was speaking
during the debate.
The former Umno and S46 mem-
ber also hurled a jibe at a species of
green flies, green being the colour
of PAS, saying that while frogs are
harmless, flies are known to carry all
kinds of dangerous diseases.
“But dangerous though the green
flies are, the frog can easily zap and
swallow them,” he said.
The debate at policy stage contin-
ues next week.

Making sense of PAS Nik Aziz has the ability to influence the grassroots and
by Zakiah Koya versity Law professor openly going against him would mean losing the crucial
newsdesk@thesundaily.com who wrote the article votes of the grassroots. Furthermore, the Chinese and
in Sinar Harian which Indians are also with Nik Aziz as Hadi has not been able to
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS has been in the news was then used by Nik draw their support.”
for the past few days, all because its spiritual Aziz as the basis for his Prof Abdul Aziz Bari
adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, respectfully arguments that the “prob-

addressed as Tok Guru, decided to “pour out” his
feelings in his blogsite.
Long before the Kelantan mentri besar
updated his blog, the writing was already on the
wall – that the days of PAS president Datuk Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang and his gang would be num-
bered if they did not pay their obeisance to him.
After he did, the writing became even clearer,
and Hadi and his men seem to have acknowl-
edged it.
The problem with PAS is that it is run more
like a religious body than a political party, says
Prof Abdul Aziz Bari. And this, he said, is at
the same time the strength of the party – all its
members acknowledge only “one leader”.
Abdul Aziz is the International Islamic Uni-
SHARIL AMIN/THESUN
lematic” top PAS leaders
should be booted out in
an extraordinary general
meeting politely called Muk-
tamar Khas.
It has been said that Nik Aziz is more a
shrewd politician than Hadi will ever be, while
the president is seen to be more of an ulama
acting as a politician.
Thus Nik Aziz holds more clout than Hadi in
the party even though he is president.
PAS central committee members, who req-
uested anonymity, said it has been a sort of a
“party tradition” that when the spiritual adviser
speaks, others listen. And they listened to him
when he ranted at some of them during their

(From left) Nasharuddin, Nik Aziz and Hadi at a meeting of the PAS central committee and state
commisioners on Wednesday night.

meeting with him on Wednesday night. The
party had to do as he says for it to be trusted
again by the grassroots of more than a mil-
lion people.
“Nik Aziz is flexing his muscle in the
party in order to dominate it and grassroots
members seem to be drawn to him more
than to the president who, as a result, seems
to be losing his appeal,” a committee member
said.
“Hadi and his gang have been on the def-
ensive ever since Nik Aziz came out with the
statement in his blog,” Abdul Aziz said.
So there is not going to be an EGM. But a
political seminar which 1,000 delegates will
attend may turn out to be almost the same
thing. If the EGM was meant to oust those
whom the spiritual adviser has decided he
has no confidence in, it is speculated that the
seminar can do the same thing.
Datuk Husam Musa, PAS central commit-
tee member, and often said to be Nik Aziz’s
blue-eyed boy, is seen as the likely candidate
to succeed Hadi, said Abdul Aziz.
No PAS central committee member will
ever openly oppose Nik Aziz.
“This is because Nik Aziz has the ability
to influence the grassroots and openly going
against him would mean losing the crucial
votes of the grassroots. Furthermore, the
Chinese and Indians are also with Nik Aziz
as Hadi has not been able to draw their sup-
port. Hadi is also not media savvy,” Abdul
Aziz said.
“The politics of PAS is unlike that of
MCA and Umno; when the spiritual adviser
cracks his whip, everyone takes note. This
is because he gives the impression that
what he says is very much for the survival
of the party.”
During his tenure as president, Hadi has
been accused of spending more time sight-
seeing overseas than doing his work at home.
Power, it is said, seems to have been relegated
to party secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali,
who has been seen as the man behind the
idea of a unity government.
Hadi’s inability to retain Terengganu
speaks volumes about his ability and leader-
ship.
Meanwhile, Nasharuddin, who was
almost PAS’s spokesperson before the last
muktamar, has been keeping a low profile
ever since the bickering between the “ulama
faction” and the “professionals faction” in PAS
was played up by the mainstream press.
On the other hand, Nik Aziz is still seen
as a PAS icon and a strong force with which
the Barisan Nasional had to contend. He has
helmed the Kelantan government for two
decades and may go on to lead the Kelantan
PAS to another victory.