H-Net* PAS' Kelantan line-up likely to have 70% new faces

[Concorde]

Tuesday, November 16, 1999 PAS' Kelantan line-up likely to have 70% new faces KOTA BARU: About 70% of PAS candidates in Kelantan are expected to be new faces. The candidates, expected to be announced in the next few days, will mostly be below 50 years old. Sources said that among the current crop of state PAS leaders who are expected to be named as candidates for the 43 state seats and 14 parliamentary seats are Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's secretaries. One of them, Husam Musa, 41, is likely to contest the Kubang Kerian parliamentary seat. Kubang Kerian, a PAS stronghold, was previously held by the controversial Mat Sabu. Mat Sabu is widely speculated to move to Kedah or Perlis. Peringat PAS chief Wan Ismail Wan Jusoh, another one of Nik Aziz's press secretaries, is expected to contest the state seat of Melor. Wan Ismail, 44, is likely to be challenged by Umno supreme council member and incumbent Datuk Zainal Abidin Abdul Kadir. Another leader expected to enter the fray for the first time is Kelantan PAS Youth chief Takiyuddin Hassan. Takiyuddin, a lawyer, is expected to contest the Bunut Payung state seat A PAS leader close to Nik Aziz said PAS was fielding a "youthful team" in the coming election to "re-invigorate" the party. He said among the veteran leaders expected to be dropped were assemblymen Datuk Halim Mohamed (Bunut Payung) and Mat Yusoof Mat Sah (Bukit Panau).