Head of Chinese-based Gerakan Party sees PAS man as a praiseworthy leader

MALAYSIA: While Anwar insists that no one can replace him, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance is promoting its new chairman, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, as a capable and charismatic alternative.

And it is not a Malay-Muslim leader in the PN who is pushing this idea; it is the President of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), Dr Dominic Lau, who is all praise for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) leader.

He says the PAS man has a hidden advantage, besides being a well-known technocrat.

“Sometimes, the people do not only want a leader who is good at speaking in meetings, but a leader who is willing to approach the people, listen, and interact with them. Sometimes, one sincere selfie, one friendly smile, touches the heart more than a thousand political speeches,” he said in a social media post on Sunday.

Samsuri is the first PAS leader from outside the traditional religious circles to be entrusted with guiding the party, potentially into the next General Election.

“Yesterday I just realised, Dr Sam not only has a very organised technocratic leadership style, chairing meetings briefly, precisely, and straight to the main points; it turns out he also has another ‘hidden advantage.’

“Every time Gerakan members want to take a selfie with him, Dr Sam is not awkward at all. In fact, he himself will take their mobile phones and help take selfies together.

“What is interesting is that his style is so natural, the photo angles are beautiful, the smile is very friendly… it really looks like he is already a ‘pro’ (professional).

“This people‑friendly attitude, not distant and not awkward in mingling, is slowly becoming his ‘signature character,’” he wrote.

PAS is now known as the least corrupt party in the country, with very few of its leaders in its history getting caught for corruption or bribery.

There is the 2019 case, a viral video showed a PAS leader wearing Islamic garb, dispensing cash to potential voters during the 2022 elections as they pledged to vote for PAS.

There is also another case in 2019, when Nasharudin Mat Isa (Former Deputy President) was charged with 33 counts of money laundering and corruption involving RM1.3 million. The money was said to be linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds. Nasharudin Mat Isa did not go to jail, as he was not convicted of the charges.

Ahmad Samsuri himself was embroiled in a controversy regarding the sale of a piece of land in Terengganu to an association of former wives of former elected representatives in the state.

The state government reportedly sold an 11,299 square metre plot of land to the group called Khairunnisa’s Association for just RM500,000 (S$161,500) despite the land’s valuation of RM29.3 million.

He survived these accusations and is not leading the opposition in Parliament, and is the leader of the PN.

Dominic noted that during meetings, the Kemaman MP displayed professional, rational leadership focused on solutions, yet when engaging with the public, he adopted a relaxed, approachable style marked by warmth and friendliness.