Mahfuz Omar, the Member of the Parliament for the Pokok Sena constituency in the state of Kedah, and a member of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS, received unwanted attention on Facebook.
Facebook users asked whether Mahfuz, once he is sacked from the PAS (which is a possibility if he continues to criticise party leaders), would be anointed as opposition Islamist Party Amanah Nasional, PAN) deputy president?
The posting on Facebook also said MP Husam Musa who was sacked from PAS was ‘catapulted’ as vice president of PAN.
It also asked whether Mahfuz would rather be qualified to become the ‘spiritual leader’ of the PAN instead?
The comment was followed by a long list of replies on Facebook, with jokes on Mahfuz’s ability to be nominated vice-President and on whether he will be fired or not, from the PAS.
Husam was the PAS Vice-President, from 2011 until 2015. On 6th May 2016, he was sacked from PAS by the party’s disciplinary committee for alleged misconduct.
The Pokok Sena MP had criticised Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia whom he said had acted independently when he made the decision not to allow debates on the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) amendments.
The PAS lawmaker said the decision was disappointing.
He also took to task his party leader Abdul Hadi Awang, who tabled the motion, and the party Secretary General Takiyuddin Hassan should have objected to the Speaker’s decision.