![\"http:\/\/buletinonline.net\/images\/stories\/berita30\/haji_hadi.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/buletinonline.net\/v7\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/haji_hadi.jpg\")
PAS has dismissed speculation that it will suffer a setback in the 13th general election, in contrast to its phenomenal performance in 2008.<\/p>\nPAS has dismissed speculation that it will suffer a setback in the 13th general election, in contrast to its phenomenal performance in 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe in this theory or in the octopus\u2019s predictions,\u201d said its president Abdul Hadi Awang.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am convinced that if we work hard and use the right strategy, we can win big in the next general election.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is something mercurial about PAS, as Malaysia\u2019s election history shows. It has performed impressively in some elections, but often badly in elections held following the re-drawing of borders to benefit Barisan Nasional. For example, while it won only seven parliamentary seats in 2004, it grabbed 23 in the last election. It now also rules the states of Kelantan and Kedah.<\/p>\n
Those impressed by patterns in the flow of history say the pendulum may well swing the other way in the coming general election.<\/p>\n
However, this does not seem to worry the party president. He said the doom prophecies were in fact motivating members to identify weaknesses in the party and to focus on addressing them.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike Umno, we have real support, branches everywhere, people who have faith,\u201d Hadi said at an informal discussion at the Harakah office last night<\/p>\n
Umno, on the other hand, had become dependent on mercenaries, he added.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe my statement is harsh, but that\u2019s the reality. It is no more about faith and ideology. Faith and ideology is not helping Umno win, but the government machinery is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Be patient<\/p>\n
He said it had become obvious that Umno now had to pay soldiers-for-hire to ensure its continuity.<\/p>\n
He was alluding to last weekend\u2019s nationwide assault against activists lamenting 50 years of the Internal Security Act and a similar disruption of a gathering of disgruntled Felcra settlers. Although all the activists gatheried in peace, some activists suffered abuse from thugs suspected to be Umno members and some were arrested by riot police.<\/p>\n
Hadi alleged that the police were under orders to harass Pakatan Rakyat and contain its programmes.<\/p>\n
But he said he was sure that Umno could not indefinitely fool Malaysian society.<\/p>\n
He called on PAS members and supporters to practice patience.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must work hard,\u201d he said. \u201cThe history of elections, especially by-elections, in this country has shown that PAS will win in many areas where we are strong and where we maintain branches.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cited PAS\u2019s performance in the Kuala Terengganu and Bukit Gantang by-elections as proof that success depended on hard work and the strength of the party\u2019s network.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, I urge PAS to rapidly multiply its branches all over the country,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy did we win Kelantan and Kedah? Because we have many branches in these states.\u201dFMT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PAS has dismissed speculation that it will suffer a setback in the 13th general election, in contrast to its phenomenal performance in 2008. \u201cI don\u2019t believe in this theory or in the octopus\u2019s predictions,\u201d said its president Abdul Hadi Awang. \u201cI am convinced that if we work hard and use the right strategy, we can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"better_featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3132"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3132\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buletinonlines.net\/v7\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}