Sunday November 8, 2009
Khalid defends loyalty oath
Reports by NURBAITI HAMDAN, YUEN MEI KENG, SA’ODAH ELIAS, FARIK ZOLKEPLI and K. KASTURI DEWI
GOMBAK: Shah Alam PAS chief Khalid Samad has defended the party’s divorce-linked loyalty oath, saying that those who want to become elected representatives must understand the implication should they betray the party.
He said the matter was not frivolous or to be toyed with because it involved the responsibility of an elected representative who was bestowed the trust by the people.
“You are representing the people and party.
“So we don’t want people to think that going into politics is about making money or something to be played with,” he told reporters when met at the party’s seminar in Taman Melewar here yesterday.
Serious talk: Abdul Hadi delivering his speech at the PAS political seminar in Taman Melewar in Gombak, Selangor Saturday. He was responding to criticism from various quarters on the oath, which required elected representatives to divorce their wives with talak tiga if they were to leave the party.
Khalid said the party’s rivals were the kind that would resort to all sorts of inducement such as bribery to gain political headway and therefore, the party needed serious candidates who were willing to put themselves on the line for the sake of the party.
When pointed out that some party leaders had claimed that they had no knowledge of such an oath, Khalid said: “This is not practised everywhere. But I know it is done in Selangor.
“I take my family seriously and I am a family man. I was willing to take the oath because I have no intention of jumping ship”.
Meanwhile, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said the decision to impose the oath was not sanctioned by the party’s central committee or syura council.
“We are going to investigate where it came from. It is not from us,” he told reporters after the seminar.
Party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said elected representatives were only asked to take a general loyalty oath.
Related Stories:
PAS takes a hard look at itself
PAS committed to Pakatan Rakyat, says Hadi
Delegate: We can’t have two captains
Survey: Party image has dropped since general election
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