Penang PAS says not boycotting Gerakan chief ally, just lacks hands to help campaign

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai who is contesting in Bayan Lepas, Penang should use his own election machinery to campaign in the state election, according to its PAS ally Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff.

Muhammad Fauzi, who is the Penang PAS chief, has denied a boycott of Lau’s activities in the Malay-majority seat, saying the Islamist party does not have enough members to help out, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

“Now those contesting have to bring their own machinery respectively, so Dominic has to bring his own machinery.

“We too do not have enough (machinery), our machinery actually has areas where they have to help too, so whoever contests will have to lead the machinery there and bring their own machinery,” he was quoted as saying.

Muhammad Fauzi said Penang PAS will follow the instructions of the party’s central leadership regarding Lau and hold a meeting of its members and the local community and see what is suitable based on the situation.

He said none of its members is running as an independent to challenge Lau for the Bayan Lepas seat, holding it up as proof that the state chapter is abiding by the central PAS’ decision and has accepted the Gerakan leader’s candidacy.

In a separate report by national news agency Bernama, Muhammad Fauzi said Penang PAS will explain why Lau was picked by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership as the Bayan Lepas candidate in order to resolve any dissatisfaction.

“We always try to tackle this problem... PAS machinery will abide and go to the ground to help (Dominic's) campaign. This is the order from PAS leadership, we will give our support to all the candidates,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Bayan Lepas PAS members were said to have been upset when Lau was named to run in the August 12 poll as they had expected Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim to be fielded instead.

But Lau was previously reported as saying he had reached out to Iszuree via WhatsApp over the issue before nomination day, adding that it was only a misunderstanding and miscommunication that should be resolved internally.

Bayan Lepas PAS members were said to have been upset when Lau (pic) was named to run in the August 12 poll as they had expected Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim to be fielded instead. — Picture by KE Ooi

Things came to a head when a video of Lau allegedly being asked to leave a PAS ceramah in Penang last Tuesday was widely circulated on social media.

Lau later denied that he was asked to leave though he conceded that he had not been invited but went there to meet PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang for a PN strategy meeting.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has since apologised for the party members’ treatment of Lau and told them to help the latter as a political ally.

Lau told reporters in Penang yesterday that he has accepted the apology and wants to move forward.