Humble PAS and haughty UMNO

Mind you, when you talk of Kelantanese it also includes the Chinese and Indians too, lest we forget.

Now, throughout the Mahathir era (or regime if you prefer), the mainstream media was exploited to the hilt to frighten the rest of the nation into believing that PAS members are turbaned fanatics who ruled by the sword.

Naïve and little travelled west coast Malaysians who never ventured into Kelantan swallowed hook and line and were so prejudiced that they saw in PAS a near-madness that must be avoided. To them, the story of PAS as a fanatic that will rob everyone of the freedom of humanity was a ‘sold’ conclusion.

But that ‘demonic’ PAS has survived all the agony and black-listing by the ‘Mahathiristic’ regime. Malaysians who dared to venture into the PAS State of Kelantan soon discovered to their shocking disbelief that there was more respect, tolerance and acceptance on the streets and in the village communes than they had back in their seemingly ‘developed’ cities ruled by UMNO.

The market place and the trading streets, the humble villages and padi fields all were being fanned by soothing breezes of acceptance and trust. Now for the still suspecting and disbelieving non-Kelantanese, they should go to Kelantan and discover for themselves. Period.

Today, the President of PAS Abdul Hadi Awang in his remarkable and admirable Policy Speech has evidenced how come PAS is relevant for the people of Kelantan and gives hope for the rest of Malaysians.

The one single element that distinguishes PAS from UMNO is, PAS remains humble while UMNO is riding high with haughtiness.

In his speech he has without clutter spelt out that “PAS upholds and defends the rights of all Malaysians regardless of their faith and not just Malays”. Now, contrast this with that of UMNO’s “untuk bangsa, agama dan negara” blood-chilling war cry with drawn kris.

Who is humble and who is haughty?

Consistent with the teachings and glory of Islam that is spreading across the four corners of the world today, the President has with undeterred faith upheld that “Islam is not tied to any race or national identity, and its basic tenets pushed for fairness for a plural society with people from different religions”.

Now compare that noble and wisdom inspired statement with the numerous calls by UMNO claiming that UMNO will fight to death and blood-spilling and even wage ‘jihad’ to defend its version of Islam against other Malaysians.

Who is humble and who is a humbug?

The President of PAS further reiterated, without fear nor favor that the people’s party PAS has “embraced the idea of pluralism in a society and the need to care for all races using the principles of Islam as the main guideline”.

But UMNO would marshal till this day that one race’s rights are being threatened by another; that one race’s religion is being threatened by another.

Now where is humility and wherein rests haughtiness?

Under the Tun Doctor’s premiership, when the internet was not heard of, we would probably not even have heard of PAS’ policy speech in its true form. What we would have been dispensed with in carefully prescribed rations is a spiteful of fanatic rabid statements spewing from the President of PAS that would frighten any country rabbit or naive town mouse into the hole for fear.  

Syabas, to PAS for its insightful positioning of its party’s tested and proven principles. Kudos to PAS for consistently giving back to Islam its rightful honor, well deserved meaning and respectful position in a multiracial society here and in the contemporary world.

Now, what can we say of UMNO?