Kuala Lumpur: Former Selangor menteri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib has yet to decide whether to leave PAS as he wants to give the party’s new leadership the benefit of the doubt, following a sweep of top posts by the pro-ulama faction in the party polls last week.

Muhammad said the new PAS leadership should be given a chance to shape the party’s direction and objectives.

“I haven’t made any decision yet. I will give the new leadership the benefit of the doubt as they have been given a mandate.

“I don’t want to discuss the way the party elections were held. There were lots of things I heard about this election,” he told The Malaysian Insider, without elaborating.

Muhammad, also known as Mat Taib, said delegates had made their decision on the leadership line-up and should be held responsible for the future of the Islamist party following the elections.

He said the results showed that the delegates had made up their minds whether PAS would continue their struggles with Pakatan Rakyat or stand alone as a political entity.

“I’m just hoping that the new leadership can lead the party well.

“Whether they (delegates) followed the ‘chai’ or it was their decision, they are responsible for the choice of leaders.

“I’m not disappointed, but we will see the effects after this ... what direction and struggles they will bring.”

The former Umno vice-president said last month he is beginning to lose interest in PAS because emerging leaders of the party appear to be out of touch with real-world issues.

He said this is due to the trend of the so-called ulama, returning from the Middle East, who want to become leaders of the party.

“They can memorise the Quran and Hadith, but when we ask them to explain 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd), they say they don’t really understand the issue.

“When we ask them about the GST (goods and services tax), they say they don’t know,” he said.

He said then that he would wait for the outcome of the PAS muktamar, before deciding on his next course of action. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 8, 2015.