SELCAT ISSUE DISCUSSED AT SPECIAL MEETING OF PAS STATE LIAISON COMMITTEE

After a 3 hour long meeting comprising 60 party members of the PAS Selangor liaison committee today, a resolution was passed in support of its commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali over the Selcat controversy.

Selangor PAS backs Hasan over Selcat


SHAH ALAM, Sept 27 - The PAS Selangor liaison committee today passed a resolution in support of its commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali over the Selcat controversy.

Hasan recently criticised the state’s select committee for competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat) for “bullying public servants” during a recent public inquiry.

The outburst by the PAS leader has reignited discussions on Hasan’s loyalty and his party’s commitment to Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor.

Hasan previously clashed with PR colleagues over the sale of beer at convenience outlets in Shah Alam, and a plan to empower mosque committee members and workers to police immoral activities in the state.

PAS state liaison committee secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman has also issued a statement of the party’s support for Hasan and warned that the party was considering pulling out of the state government.

In its resolution today, PAS Selangor agreed that Hasan’s position as PAS Commissioner and executive councilor should not be questioned because the posts were decided by the party president and the Selangor mentri besar respectively.

The committee also supports the opinion of Hasan and stressed that state institutions like Selcat will not function properly if the party commissioner’s proposals are not considered.

The committee also urged the state government to take the necessary steps to reform Selcat to protect the state watchdog’s credibility.

Hasan explained that the meeting was held to discuss what he called a “little” controversy following the comments and statements he made on Selcat.

“PAS Selangor would like to highlight that the relationship between the state government and civil servants must always remain at the best possible state.

"There was an overwhelming agreement of what we have discussed. This means that PAS agrees to what was said by the PAS Commissioner in other words it is the belief of PAS leaders including members and supporters of PAS,” he told reporters after chairing the 3 hour long meeting.

Hasan pointed out however that the party never released any statement saying it was going to leave Pakatan Rakyat.

“PAS will always be together with Pakatan Rakyat and this matter should not be questioned,” he noted.

He also admitted that it might have been his fault that certain parties did not understand his statement.

“All of Selcat’s pubic inquiries have been reported by newspapers. And after each inquiry, Selcat’s chairman will hold a press conference.

“The press conference is also given wide coverage such as the ineffectiveness of the district officer and how he is not fit to be a district officer. When this becomes public knowledge, I believe my statements were appropriate,” he explained.

He added that not only witnesses in the public inquiry were affected but also their families.

“You know how many people have their hearts broken because of this. I was told the wife of the Klang district officer is ashamed to go out and go to work because his image has been tarnished by proceedings in Selcat,” he said.

However Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad still believes that Hasan should not have discussed the matter publicly.

“There was a bit of discussion whether he should have made the statement before discussing it in the exco and there was some difference of opinion on that. Datuk (Hasan Ali) feels that he has the prerogative whether to discuss publicly.

“That is a matter of opinion (whether he has done anything wrong.) My personal opinion is that he should not have discussed it publicly and we will wait and see what happens after that,” he told reporters after the meeting which was attended by 60 party members.

He added that disciplinary action against Hasan was not discussed because it was not for state leaders but the national leadership to decide.

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani/MalaysianInsider