PAS has lost the key to Malay Unity
The Malays will remain a divided group with a possible majority supporting the PAS-Umno camp while the minority (a large one altogether) will be supporting the PKR-DAP in the PR.
Written by Ali Cordoba, World Futures
The Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) is in turmoil with trouble brewing at its base and spreading to its leadership. The split, blamed on the press, is however caused by the innocent greed and weaklings of some leaders of the party. It was thought that with the PAS maturing into a 'National' Party, it would be able to hold the keys to Malay political power and overtake the United Malays National Organization (Umno) in this sphere. Alas, the 55th Muktamar of the PAS proved to be of a different dish.
Not only the party has showed its crankiness, being old and outdated, it has also showed its deeper concerns that is salvaging a political mileage that has in reality lost its usefulness. Amid the ramblings and hot headed leaders, accusations flew that Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, possibly the most respected and most high Islamic personality in the country, does not represent the party's spokesman ship anymore.
In the wake of this shocking revelation, the party also saw its members slide into mudslinging and in backstabbing that resulted in the Malaysian web sphere burning with such rage and angry ramblings. Only cool minds can make such aggravated situations past but with most of the opposition supporters reeling in shock and awe against the leaders of the PAS who supports a probable alliance with the Umno, there is little to be seen but the innocent witchery that we witnessed since Saturday last.
The PAS' leadership has to stop being presumptuous into believing that the party as it is and the mess it threw itself voluntarily in, holds any keys to Malay unity and to Malay political power. The reality on the ground and the facts in Malaysia with regards to the PAS says a different story: The party is supported by a mere 20% of the voting population. It won most of the seats in Selangor and Perak thanks to the partners in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition. Its claims that it will hold the post of Prime Minister is futile since the entire world knows that Anwar Ibrahim is the de-facto future Prime Minister of a PR government and will be supported as such by the crowds that responds to his presence in almost all the states in Malaysia.
The crude reality is that the PAS has won more votes and seats in 1999 that it could ever dream of under the rule of Tun Mahathir Mohamad thanks to the 'black eye' of Anwar Ibrahim. It was also lucky to hold the key posts in more states after the 2008 General Elections (GE) thanks to the campaigning by Anwar Ibrahim – who did so by taking high risks of being arrested during the campaign since he was under a ban.
Nevertheless, no amount of tale will change what some PAS leaders did during the 55th Muktamar, a Muktamar that has shamed the opposition and silence Anwar Ibrahim while it has surely broken the heart of Tok Guru Nik Aziz. In politics, there's little emotion and the cruelty of this adage has been proven once again with what many sees as a betrayal in clear broad daylight by the PAS against its PR partners.
