The PAS dilemma – to embrace Umno or to stick with Pakatan

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Nov 13, 2013

(The Ant Daily) – Former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat was the only top PAS leader who was truly committed to the Pakatan cause but he is no longer around.

Ever since its poor performance in the 13th general election (GE13), PAS has been beset by uncertainty. It appears like a party being pulled apart by two opposing forces – the conservatives and the progressives.

Nominations for the party elections next month confirm this and raise fears among PAS’ Pakatan Rakyat partners that the outcome of the party’s polls would have an impact on the three-party coalition.

PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself was said to be concerned about the direction that PAS would take after its muktamar on Nov 22.

So, what has brought PAS to this state of affairs?

After all, in the run-up to GE13, the Islamist party was touted as the lynchpin of Pakatan, tasked with wresting seats from Umno under the slogan “PAS Ganti Umno” (PAS to replace Umno).

Observers said although PAS members did not seem concerned about the state the party is in now, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang could not escape responsibility.

“I think the problem with PAS is that despite being the oldest party in Pakatan it has been going downhill. And this happened during Hadi’s tenure as president,” said an observer.

“Part of the reason for this lies with the leadership. They are either still entertaining the thought of joining Umno or rethinking their future in Pakatan,” the observer added.

Former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat was the only top PAS leader who was truly committed to the Pakatan cause but he is no longer around.

Hadi’s conduct before GE13 was questionable although he was in an upbeat mood about Pakatan’s attempt to gain federal power.

Sources said he even had the audacity to usurp the PAS secretary-general’s role in issuing letters of appointment to the party’s candidates for GE13, resulting in overlapping of seats with PKR and Pakatan ally Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

But alas PAS performed way below expectations and dashed Pakatan’s ambition to capture Putrajaya.

PAS was the “big brother” in Pakatan and yet it won the least number of seats among the coalition partners.

DAP achieved its best ever showing with 38 parliamentary seats, followed by PKR with 30 and PAS with 21. In contrast, Umno, PAS’s main rival, increased its share of parliamentary seats from 79 in 2008 to 88 in 2013.

But instead of clamouring for Hadi’s head, party members endorsed his leadership, as evident from his re-election as PAS president without contest recently.

Observers said this was ironic as Hadi pales in comparison with Datuk Fadzil Noor, whom he succeeded as president in 2002.