Whither PAS after fiery assembly?

PETALING JAYA: The 60th PAS muktamar (annual general meeting) that ended in Batu Pahat, Johor yesterday served to confirm that the internal conflict within the party is much worse than most thought.
The three-day muktamar was marred with incidents that only brought to the surface the developing schism in the Islamist party arising from the Selangor mentri besar's issue, particularly between party deputy president Mohamad Sabu and party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
It is evident that the rift that has developed over the Selangor MB issue not only jeopardises the party, but threatens to tear apart the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PAS, DAP and the PKR.
Indeed, civility and decorum was thrown to the wind as on numerous occasions, the muktamar was marred by shouting and jeering, and even walkouts by delegates.
Calls for a mature debate went unheeded and on one occasion, an unscheduled speaker even rushed up to the stage to snatch the microphone before he was prevented from speaking and quickly whisked away by the party's Unit Amal personnel.
A harbinger that the muktamar would be a fiery affair had first surfaced at the Youth wing assembly in Kota Tinggi where some 50 delegates, believed to be Hadi Awang supporters, staged a walkout during a speech by Mohamad Sabu.
The schism within the party became more visible at the main muktamar as delegates and top leaders in their speeches openly expressed their allegiance to one side or the other over the Selangor mentri besar issue, and little of national issues and the future of the party was discussed.
Despite being physically in Johor in line with the party's decision to hold the muktamar there to psychologically prepare its members to conquer the Barisan Nasional stronghold in the next general election, the minds of those at the muktamar was clearly on Selangor.
Some delegates even urged the party leadership to decline the mentri besar post if the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, decides to appoint an assemblyman from the party to the post.
Meanwhile, other delegates openly criticised Mohamad Sabu, or Mat Sabu, for not backing Hadi's stand on the mentri besar issue and making statements without bringing the matter to a meeting first.
Party information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar tried his best to urge delegates to stand united with the party and to come out with a unanimously acceptable decision, but failed.
The heated debates eventually led party deputy spiritual adviser Datuk Haron Din, to issue a gag order on discussions on the party's internal conflict.
The fact that a press conference scheduled at the end of the meeting was cancelled, shows that the top leadership could not find a definite solution to the Selangor mentri besar issue, which has been dragging on for months.
Even as the Selangor palace is expected to make known who will be the new mentri besar today and the swearing in tomorrow, Hadi has not given any significant sign that the three Pakatan parties will resolve the matter in a gentlemanly manner.