Opposition bloc lacks cohesion
Pakatan Harapan’s hope to capture Putrajaya would remain distant dream without PAS.
Athi Shankar, Malaysia Outlook
PAS would probably snub cooperation with any other opposition party, except Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan)
Which party won’t after being ridiculed and humiliated publicly with all sorts of lies and fabricated stories since the infamous Kajang Move or Langkah Kajang by PKR in 2014.
The DAP especially, condemned and insulted PAS and unceremoniously kicked out the Islamist party from then opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat.
DAP then unilaterally declared the demise of Pakatan Rakyat and allegedly sponsored a PAS splinter group of leaders to set up new political vehicle, Amanah.
DAP then formed and took charge a new coalition called Pakatan Harapan, which included PKR and Amanah.
DAP is said now planned to heavily fund Husam Musa to build a formidable team under Amanah to challenge the Islamist party in Kelantan.
PAS has been ruling Kelantan since 1990, and the DAP thinks it can now take control of that northern East Coast state through its proxy party Amanah.
On the other hand, Mahathir is said was trying to lure PAS into an unholy marriage with the ever squabbling opposition parties by offering a ‘dedak’ (animal feed), namely the Terengganu menteri besar post to the Islamist party if the opposition coalition wins the state in the 14th General Election (GE14).
Through this two-pronged strategy, and other methods, DAP and Mahathir’s Pribumi believe it can coerce PAS to join others to fight BN in a straight fight in GE14.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim said his party would only work with those who accepted its ideology and agenda.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has made it clear that PAS would only work with those who had accepted its Islamist agenda.
So whether the ploy and trap set by Mahathir and DAP would work or not remain to be seen.
It’s actually amusing to see the opposition parties on one hand calling on PAS to return to its fold while on the other, blasting PAS of cooperating with Umno.
DAP and its supporters have attacked PAS with all types of allegations, such as being a ‘dedak’ from Umno.
“But the opposition wants to forge cooperation with us. Isn’t it strange?” asked Tuan Ibrahim recently.
He fired a broadside at an ally for taking an advantage of PAS during the Sarawak election and Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections early this year.
It seem the ally was a party full of candidates but without machinery and workers.
The ally has apparently dumped all the candidates’ posters and party flags at PAS doorsteps, and told the Islamist party to handle it.
“For PAS, it is easier to cooperate with an ally who is honest rather than being in a relationship with those who want to take advantage of us,” said Tuan Ibrahim.
“We would not mind if the party is a year or two-years old, but this party has been around for so long and only appears during elections.
One should notice that the opposition bloc, Pakatan Harapan, had again declined to accept other political groups into its fold such as Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) or the Indian-dominated civil rights movement Hindraf Makkal Sakti.
But Pakatan Harapan is contemplating to accept Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) led by former Premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The opposition coalition is disinterested in sharing political power with Indian or other native groups, indeed only wants to monopolise it?
The opposition coalition only wants the support and votes of Indians, but does not want to share political power with Indian groups?
But this may change in GE14, as Pakatan Harapan moves to fill the huge gap of lack of Indian political leadership in the country.
Both Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN) currently don’t have a reliable, trustworthy or efficient Indian political leadership, and that includes MIC and PPP, or the strayed Indian representatives in Gerakan, PKR and DAP.
Due to this, Pakatan Harapan could just entice Hindraf to its side since BN is not interested to hold talks with P. Waytha Moorthy and company.
