As PAS leans right, Pakatan allies bare fangs on social media

Boo, Su-Lyn, Malay Mail Online

PKR and the DAP have openly attacked Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner, PAS, this week, after the Islamist party slid further away from its allies with a retreat into religious conservatism during its annual congress in Johor.

In response to criticism by PAS leaders and delegates against PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during speeches, DAP publicity chief Tony Pua slammed the Islamist party on his Facebook page with a post that has drawn over 170,000 likes.

“Presiden kelam-kabut? #salahAnwar. PAS kucar-kacir? #salahAnwar. PAS tewas di Kedah? #salahAnwar,” Pua wrote in a mocking post in Malay on Wednesday.

[Translation: President fretful? #Anwar’sFault. PAS in a mess? #Anwar’sFault. PAS lost Kedah? #Anwar’sFault”].

Pua’s post was in response to a call for PAS Youth members to blame PKR advisor Anwar for forcing the hand of their president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, in the Selangor mentri besar crisis.

Contacted later, Pua told Malay Mail Online that PAS must return to the middle ground if it wishes to live up to its “PAS for All” slogan to appeal to and represent multi-racial Malaysia.

“Otherwise, PAS risks marginalising itself to whatever that is left of its own hardcore supporters in the northern Malaysia heartlands,” said the DAP leader, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara MP.

In the script of his speech on Wednesday, PAS ulama wing acting chief and Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said Dr Wan Azizah was not fit to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor mentri besar because she is a woman, sparking criticisms from Pua who said on his Facebook page: “You give your party a terrible name”.

PKR deputy information chief Sim Tze Tzin joined in the Twitter criticism against PAS, and asked if its PR ally was attacking Umno, or their coalition.

“PKR just gave Pengkalan Kubor to PAS, they thank us by attacking PKR & @anwaribrahim. #muktamarpas,” Sim, who has almost 12,000 Twitter followers, posted on the microblogging site under his @simtzetzin account.

The Bayan Baru MP was referring to his party’s decision to make way for PAS to field its man for the September 25 contest in the Kelantan state seat.

Contacted later, Sim told Malay Mail Online yesterday that PAS also owed its improved public image to its ties with PR.

“But we are seeing worrying trends of a small group of ulama and the Youth wings that are increasingly moving to the right wing and conservative side. That is not good for Pakatan and the country,” Sim said.

Another PKR leader to have made jabs at PAS is Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

On Twitter yesterday, the PKR secretary-general sarcastically asked if there was an Umno general assembly taking place now, although the only political party holding its annual congress at the moment is PAS.

“Kalau sama2 nak ke utara usahlah bawa kereta bersendirian menuju selatan” he said in another tweet on his @saifnasution account that has almost 50,000 followers.

[Translation: If we want to go to the north together, don’t drive alone to the south].

PAS entered its current muktamar after straining ties with its PR allies following open hostilities over the Selangor mentri besar crisis.

The PAS muktamar is taking place in the southern state of Johor and will conclude today.