The ‘Umno-fication’ of PKR and PAS

It is with great amusement that I watched the new development in Malaysian politics which saw opposition parties PKR and PAS borrowing from the Umno playbook in their handling of the Selangor MB crisis.

I would label this as their Umno-fication process.

While they are not turning to share the Malay party’s ideology or even siding with the long-time lynch pin of Malay supremacy, they do seem to be speaking and thinking like Umno despite different ideological make-ups.

Perhaps it is not that much of a leap as PAS is an Umno splinter and at least a third of PKR are also ex-Umno.

The first signs of the Umno-fication of the Pakatan parties were the rumbling in PKR, the party holding the pact together.

“If you are not confident with the party and the struggle of its leaders to fight corruption, you are welcome to leave,” trumpeted Rafizi in a passionate stand up defence of unelected de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the party’s congress last week.

English daily The Star quoted him telling those who have no faith in Anwar or blamed him for the party’s troubles to pack up and leave.

Rafizi was targeting those who accused Anwar of practising nepotism, singling out those who criticised the de facto leader from within the party, reminding them that to criticise is okay but requires manners.

He also told members that they should not accuse those who are elected democratically of nepotism, though he did not say anything about unelected party leaders.

Nothing was said on integrity of elections that drag on for months marred by quarrels or the undue influence a party “Godfather” can have on voting patterns, especially if the person is more than respected and even revered by mere members, each of whom is a voter.

Meanwhile, just a few days into this week, the same message is being echoed in fellow Pakatan party PAS.

“… those who do not agree that PAS should not remain with PR should leave the party and go elsewhere,” PAS central working committee member Khalid Samad was quoted by The Malaysian Insider as saying.

He was targeting PAS members of the unity government faction who believes that the Islamic party is better off working with fellow Malay-Muslims and the party of their origin Umno to truly safeguard the Malays and Islam.

But it seems also to be a general warning to PAS members to step in line with party decisions and not go off on a limb and make their own decisions.

PAS has always been known to be tight on discipline, but the number of members and elected representatives with links to influential leaders in fellow Pakatan parties like PKR has observers wondering if at times their party loyalty is questionable.

During the Selangor MB crisis two PAS assemblymen with supposed links to PKR leaders broke party lines and signed letters of support for PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be nominated as MB.

This happened even as some PAS members were openly talking about uniting with Umno and independent MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to form the infamous unity government.

Like in Umno, this seeming arrogance that their leaders and what the party believe is right must be automatically right. A kind of fanaticism that is scary when seen practised in politics by leaders who can greatly effect actions that may damage the nation.

Case in point, Umno has always been telling people who do not support the party and their supremacist agenda to pack up and leave the country.

This is the same attitude that PKR and PAS leaders like Rafizi and Khalid seems to be developing, something that is truly dangerous.

Where is the supposed allowance for disagreement and discussion inside the opposition pact? Where are their supposed policies of tolerance and consensus, instead of this Umno-styled my way or the highway?

In this context, is Anwar the end all and be all of PKR that those who disagree with him must leave, and is working with Pakatan the end all and be all of PAS that those who believe otherwise should similarly leave?

Like Umno’s, is Pakatan politics also a zero sum game with no room for manoeuvre?

While I have respect for both Rafizi and Khalid Samad, I do believe they should reconsider their views in this or risk the Umno-fication of their parties.

Another example of how PKR and PAS, indeed the entirety of Pakatan, is much like Umno is how they used the word “the rakyat” of the people.

The opposition pact has this habit and practice down pat.

This is similar with Umno which after 57 years cemented as the national government seems to see itself and the Malaysian government as the same entity, like some mutated Siamese twin.

But the same mutated Siamese twin image also holds true with PKR and Pakatan when they talk about the people’s “wishes”.

At times what the people want coincides with what Pakatan fights for but it is just as wrong to presume that whatever PKR and Pakatan want is the people’s voice.

Rafizi when lambasting Khalid Ibrahim in the Selangor MB crisis for example often said that Khalid should not dissolve the state legislature for it goes against the wishes of the people.

I have never heard of a referendum to collect the people’s opinion on that; what I do know it is PKR that does not want a dissolution as is the campaign against it being spearheaded by the resident law expert and PKR candidate for 2013 polls Abdul Aziz Bari.

Is PKR the people then? I don’t think so; they hold the mandate of some of the people, but it is not the people and is only acting on that singular role, just as surely that Umno is not the government and the government is not Umno.

Aiseh my dear Pakatan. A transparent, inclusive, just and progressive entity must not only embody those values but be seen to do so as well. After all, more than just the basic issue of embodying what you preach, politics is all about perception.