KUALA LUMPUR: The simmering war between PAS conservatives and progressives went up a notch yesterday with the circulation of an audio clip purportedly of PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (pic), commonly known as Mat Sabu, planning to unseat party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

The revelation comes after another expose of party election strategist Dr Hatta Ramli also allegedly planning the same through the WhatsApp chat app.

The recording was uploaded onto the Facebook page of Tuc Tok Usin Ceroi, who attacked Mat Sabu for being a “traitor”. Tuc Tok Usin Ceroi is an account popular among the pro-ulama group in PAS.

The two-minute long audio recording revealed a man who sounded similar to Mat Sabu, explaining to his peers how to counter the attacks against him.

In the transcript of the audio, the man said he had met with PAS division leaders to explain his position.

“In general, the president is considered a great ulama and his maksum (purity) must be denied,” said the man in the recording.

The man added that briefings should be given to the grassroots, “not in the form of ceramah, not in the form of blogs, in the form of meetings with leaderships that may become representatives”.

According to the audio, the man said people were unable to accept it when he said that some opinions of PAS leaders were personal.

“I said that when the syura council gives statements outside of the meeting, that is a personal opinion. The decision made during the meeting is the decision of the jamaah (everyone),” said the man. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 24, 2015.