PAS’s right turn an end to Pakatan?

Amin Khairuddin, Boo Su-Lyn and Ida Lim, Malay Mail Online

PAS’s retreat towards religious conservatism has magnified the ideological differences within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and may set the three parties too far apart to be a viable candidate to govern Malaysia together, analysts and partners have noted.

While ideologically diverse — PAS is Islamist, DAP is secular socialist, and PKR is based on liberal socialism — the three parties were still able to find enough common ground to band together and deny Barisan Nasional (BN) its parliamentary supermajority twice and take the popular vote in Election 2013.

The shared ambition of wresting Putrajaya from BN may no longer be enough to bind the pact together, however, following PAS’s accelerated slide back into conservatism as demonstrated during its fiery annual congress.

According to Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI) director Lim Teck Ghee, it is still possible for PR to mend the rift caused by an open exchange of hostilities among the three parties.

“But even if the death rites have not been officially declared, it is difficult to see how the supporters of PAS on the one side or PKR and DAP on the other can have their confidence and support for the coalition remain intact,” he said when contact by Malay Mail Online recently.

Both Lim and Monash University head of political science James Chin both viewed PAS’s embrace of the religious and conservative agenda as raising allies’ suspicions that it is vulnerable to the overtures from rival Umno, which has been openly receptive of the ambitions for Islamic policies and rule that PAS’s partners have rejected.

During the recently-ended muktamar, the PAS clergy class that controls the party’s Syura Council — its highest decision-making body — also pushed to include a clause in all agreements with PR allies that will allow it to pursue its goals for Islamic policies.

“DAP/PKR knows that PAS is also interested in a Malay Unity government with Umno so they will be very careful,” Chin said of the continued co-operation among the PR parties.

Lim ventured that PAS may even go as far as seeking re-entry into BN, in the belief that it would be better able to realise its Islamic goals within the ruling coalition.

PAS was a part of BN from 1973 to 1977, before it was expelled from the coalition following the Kelantan Emergency.

“That possibility — however remote — cannot be discounted especially if Nik Aziz is not around to oppose it,” he said referring to PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Ally lawmakers from PKR and DAP were more optimistic about the possibility of PAS returning to the moderate stance that saw it make inroads into urban and mixed constituencies albeit at some cost to its rural Malay strongholds.

PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang and DAP MP Ong Kian Ming both expressed confidence that the PR parties will be able to mend the broken fences, saying that the conservative ulama faction was not the only voice in the party.

“I’m confident that we can patch up. Majority of PAS members are with Pakatan,” Chua told Malay Mail Online.

DAP political education director Liew Ching Tong was more guarded, however, on how PAS’s direction will affect its continued participation in PR.

While the progressive side of the party is adamant on remaining in PR, the clergy class that controls the party has hinted that the partnership was contingent on the benefit it will bring to Islam.

“I see PAS having a difficult year ahead before the next party election. It will have to decide which way the party wants to move to.”