SHAH ALAM: In an act of defiance, Selangor exco member Datuk Dr Hasan Ali will not be attending the Free Anwar 901 rally.

He has also named PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat or party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang as his choice for Pakatan Rakyat’s candidate for Prime Mi­­nister, adding that a country’s leader should have “good moral stand­-ing”.

In a thinly veiled attack against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Hasan said the country’s leader should also be able to prioritise the country over personal interest, have a proven track record and be surrounded by “suitable people”.

“Because of this, I think the best person to lead Malaysia is Nik Aziz or Hadi,” he said, criticising the Opposition Leader for “dragging the people into his personal struggles, which should not be made into a state or national issue”.

With his statement, Dr Hasan has clearly broken ranks by questioning if Anwar, who will know the verdict in his second sodomy trial on Monday, meets the criteria to lead the country because Pakatan had al­­ways been united in supporting him as its prime ministerial candidate.

The former Selangor PAS commissioner is currently embroiled in a feud with the PAS leadership over the party’s policy switch from an Islamic state agenda to a welfare state.

Dr Hasan also hit out at Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Rani Osman for urging party members and supporters to turn up at the rally on Monday which he claimed was not endorsed by the state party leadership.

He added that the court had given Anwar the space and opportunity to defend himself and the verdict should not be disputed.

“If we keep up this culture, the nation will turn to anarchy. It will be lawless.

“We have conscience. I won’t be there (at the assembly). My children won’t be there. I extend my advice to all youths out there (to skip the assembly) rather than get involved unnecessarily,” he said.

Separately, MCA national organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the recent “about-turn” by Anwar in telling the Chinese media that hudud law would not be implemented only reinforced the opposition’s inconsistent stand on the issue.

Tee accused Anwar of “singing different tunes” to different audiences, saying that the PKR de facto leader had “skilfully articulated” to a Chinese paper that Pakatan would not push hudud law or alter the Federal Constitution.

“However, PAS remains steadfast towards the establishment of a theocratic state based on the party’s version of hudud penal codes,” he said.

Tee, also the Pulau Sebatang state assemblyman, said the inconsistencies in Pakatan were reflected by the actions of grassroots leaders which run contrary to Anwar’s declarations, most recently being the termination of liquor licences by the Kulim district office in Kedah.

While the order has since been rescinded by the new district officer after MCA highlighted the issue Tee said it goes to prove that PKR elected representatives and executive councillors were “helpless” in stopping attempts to stop PAS from pushing hudud law in a PAS-led administration.

-The Star-