Perikatan Nasional (PN) will only decide who it wants as prime minister after taking over Putrajaya, says PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin.
He also said that PAS itself had several capable leaders who could take on the role, but that the Islamic party would not put forward a “poster boy” for the time being.
“We may not have a visible poster boy yet, but give us power first, then we’ll name the candidate, and we’ll govern far better than the current government,” Utusan Malaysia quoted him as saying.
Hashim cited the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as an example, saying few believed in his leadership when PAS took over Kelantan in 1990, but that Nik Aziz went on to lead the state for more than two decades, bringing about many positive changes.
“It’s not just professionals who are capable of leading. Religious scholars (ulama) can lead effectively, too. The same applies now,” he said.
The Turun Anwar rally, organised by PAS Youth last Saturday, had called for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to step down over the rising cost of living and economic dissatisfaction.
However, critics have pressed PN to name a clear alternative for the top post.
In March, Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin said there was no urgent need for PN to decide on its candidate, as the decision required careful consideration to ensure unity.
PN’s choice for the top post has been under scrutiny since last November, when Hashim denied that Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin was the confirmed prime ministerial candidate for GE16 and insisted that PAS should lead the coalition.
However, several leaders from Bersatu and Gerakan have continued to back Muhyiddin as PN’s choice for prime minister.
