Islamic state, actually

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Jun 8, 2009

By Shanon Shah (The Nut Graph)

WITH PAS, it was never really about "progressives" versus "conservatives", or "professionals" versus "ulama". It is, and always has been, about setting up an Islamic state.

And so, given Malaysia's dramatically shifting political landscape, this is the struggle within PAS: what is the best vehicle to deliver an Islamic state, especially now when the taste of political power is so sweet for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)? Would it be via steadfast cooperation with the PR? Or via negotiations with a much weakened, but still formidable, Umno?

In this sense, the debates during this year's 55th muktamar were not very different from the debates held during last year's congress.

Was the idea of cooperating with Umno for the "advancement" of Islam not mooted last year? It was.

Did delegates and party leaders not affirm, however, that PAS's allegiances were with the PR? They did.

Were PAS's grassroots convinced then, as they are now, that they have the capacity to not only form a coalition, but to lead federal government after the next general election? They were.

And did deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Harun Din not chastise the anti-Umno, "Erdogan" camp for not respecting the ulama? He did.

The only thing different about this year's muktamar was that the party saw contests for some very high-ranking posts — namely for the deputy and vice-presidencies. And in that sense, we can be forgiven for wondering why the dynamics of the PAS elections so closely mirrored that of the Umno party elections in March 2008. The Umno elections, too, saw contests for nearly all high-ranking positions except for the presidency, which Datuk Seri Najib Razak, like his PAS counterpart Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, effectively won unopposed.

The difference between PAS and Umno's elections, though, is this: the contest in Umno was symptomatic of an embattled party still entertaining delusions of grandeur. The infighting in Umno seems motivated by blame — people are offering themselves for leadership, therefore, to restore the party to its rightful, pre-March 2008 glory.

PAS, on the other hand, is actually a very powerful party whose grassroots are resenting having to kowtow to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the DAP within the PR. They want, and are confident the party can get, more.

And it is this unique position that is giving PAS an edge when it makes its political bargains now — when the party flexes muscles, it makes both Umno, and its PR partners jump.