Blaming PAS

By batsman

In any struggle there are ups and downs. Unfortunately there is also the inevitable phenomenon of blaming others during the down turns. As it is some are now blaming PAS for the defeat in Bagan Pinang. Gone are the heady days when PAS was trumpeted as a force to balance UMNO. 

Rather than accept a permanent down turn owing to the blame game, I would rather people consider a more strategic view of things. 

There is a saying that for a single finger pointing accusingly at the accused, there are 4 pointing at the accuser. Thus when PAS is touted as intolerant for demanding sexy concerts be banned or beer be taken off the shelves (hence for the defeat at Bagan Pinang, a tourist resort where there are plenty of drunkards and sexy events), there are 4 times heavier blame for the intolerance of the accusers. After all PAS is just exercising its democratic right to voice its views. It is not as if PAS is physically forcefully or violently insisting on getting what it wants. 

Is this not even allowed for a coalition partner? As RPK says, is there a need for a benevolent dictatorship? For whom will such a benevolent dictatorship be exercised? Should it be exercised for the liberals or should it be exercised for PAS members and supporters? After all, if one goes just by the numbers and exercise dictatorship on behalf of the majority, it is clear which direction Malaysia will be heading or IS heading, at least since Bagan Pinang. 

PAS will be PAS and it has a duty to its members and supporters. It is not as if PAS will turn into a lap dog of the liberals just because they accuse it of being the cause of the defeat in Bagan Pinang or just because some intolerant liberal threatens never to vote for it anymore. On the other hand PAS is extremely quiet in terms of criticizing its coalition partners. After all, it has many things to complain about, such as pandering to drunkards, wife beaters and practitioners of obscene sexual culture. 

This reminds me of the problems faced in a marriage. Often one partner gets attracted to a single attribute of the other (be it money or beauty), but is turned off by the many other attributes (such as different values, habits or practices). For the purpose of enjoying the single beneficial attribute some people convince themselves that they are willing to suffer the bad things temporarily in exchange for enjoying the good things. They hope ultimately to persuade, manipulate, control and change the other partner to their own liking. 

I think this is a formula for a bad marriage. There is only selfishness and no mutual respect. The partners want only the “good” things from the other partner but not the “bad” things. Inevitably such a marriage will descend into a blame game and open the doors for infidelity. 

I say such infidelity is inevitable because by wanting only the “good” things and reluctantly accepting the “bad” things temporarily, one is prostituting oneself. There is no real commitment to the marriage. When a partners realizes that the “bad” things are too difficult to handle, he or she will start to look for more convenient or more agreeable partners. 

I am not saying that every marriage will be free of problems, but if there is real commitment, there will also be a real wish for dialogue and negotiations. Without a real commitment, a marriage is not permanent but only for convenience. Although RPK likes to call it hypocrisy or expediency, I prefer to call this prostitution. 

So I do love and blame PAS for being PAS and for being intolerant of beer and sexy concerts, but shouldn’t the intolerant liberals be blamed too? Shouldn’t there be dialogue and negotiations rather than washing dirty laundry in public so that other covetous eyes may be tempted to break up the coalition through seduction and infidelity (or even through fear and insecurity)? 

In a strategic sense, to avoid being forcefully raped and abused by UMNO, it may be preferable for some to choose prostitution, but even better than this, shouldn’t a real commitment to a good mutually respectful marriage be an even better choice? We are all free to make this choice. It is not as if we are being forced by anyone, unless of course we freely choose to come under RPK’s benevolent and wise dictatorship. Heeheehee