PAS biggest loser in Selangor MB debacle, analysts say

Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Boo Su-Lyn, Malay Mail Online

PAS has come away from the Selangor leadership crisis more damaged than its allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) – it must deal with an internal rift alongside the harm to its reputation for its part in the prolonged troubles.

The party’s handling of the crisis was inconsistent throughout, reflecting a standoff between more progressive elements and a deeply conservative core or the “ulama” faction, which analysts agreed could set it down a destructive path.

“Unfortunate thing for PAS is, the internal debate between the conservatives and progressives became so obvious in this crisis, and as a result of that, I think the whole party is actually suffering and will continue to suffer for another one, two, three years to regain that trust,” political analyst and PAS member Wan Saiful Wan Jan told Malay Mail Online.

Throughout the still-unresolved row over the post of Selangor mentri besar, PAS has been the thorn in the side of its allies in PKR, having refused from the beginning to agree with the party’s bid to oust incumbent Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

But their discontent over the ouster never came from a united front. PAS progressives had at first willingly consented to replacing Khalid with PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail but the party’s conservative faction, which includes powerful leaders like party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, said no.

The party only came together after its leadership meeting last weekend where it finally agreed to nominate Dr Wan Azizah to the post, albeit almost grudgingly.

They did refuse at first, however, and even insisted that PKR propose an alternative candidate for the post – PKR deputy president Azmin Ali – but the leader then rejected the nomination, forcing PAS to concede.

University Kebangsaan Malaya (UKM) political analyst Samsu Adabi Mamat said the sharp turnaround by PAS had damaged both its public image as well as its credentials among the party’s conservative grassroots.

“You can see in the social media that PAS is heavily criticised for its stand. It is viewed as being very inconsistent and some of its hardcore supporters as well as the fence sitters believe it is making yet another concession just to placate its allies in PR,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The UKM lecturer noted that PAS had been previously forced to compromise on its push for an Islamic state and the implementation of hudud by its two partners PKR and the DAP, creating  perception that the most senior PR member was a “pushover”.

“Their decision (to accept Dr Wan Azizah) would likely reinforce that perception,” Samsu added.

The analysts also agreed that the episode would intensify the power struggle within PAS, with the ulama faction likely wanting to aim for more control over the party’s direction through its internal election due next year.

“Now the ulama will want to become more assertive. It will want to wrest control because you can see that in the central working committee decision (to nominate Wan Azizah), it was as if their voices were not there,” Samsu said.

Wan Saiful said the crisis exposed the limits of the Islamist party’s progressive faction and that the prospect of a ulama faction takeover is strong.

“If you look at this particular crisis, the progressives have been completely powerless to influence the party to decide quicker. They’ve been completely powerless to make the Selangor assemblymen act in a certain way,” he said.

The ulama faction has been vocal in their support for party president Hadi, who had in the early days openly voiced his backing for Khalid to stay despite PKR’s plan to replace the embattled leader.

Hadi’s support for Khalid, backed by growing calls by the ulama faction for PAS to reconsider its position in PR, almost pushed the pact to the brink of collapse.

With PAS’s backing, Khalid continued to defy PKR’s instructions for him to resign, forcing the party to take drastic action by sacking him entirely.

The move seemed to worsen the crisis and expose the deep fractures within PR. But when PAS came around last weekend, it helped temporarily stave off further disaster for the pact.

The party has still refused to agree to its Selangor lawmakers signing a legal undertaking to declare their backing of Dr Wan Azizah but for now, PAS leaders have made it clear they stand with their allies in the crisis and are not mulling the possibility of mutiny.

Another analyst, Merdeka Centre director Ibrahim Suffian agreed that PAS’s turnaround had helped avert a PR break-up.

But, he added, the party’s internal struggle will likely haunt the pact again and hamper its chances of ousting Barisan Nasional (BN) in future elections.

“It has saved Pakatan from breakup. PAS, however, will probably go through prolonged internal soul searching that may lead to a real contest in next year’s party election,” he said.