PAS reveal its claws to Pakatan partners

JUNE 14, 2009 – Soon after the party election results come trickling in, it seemed as if the Islamic party is heading in the opposite direction to its Pakatan Rakyat partners.
With proponents of “Unity Government” talks– Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Nasharudin Mat Isa – both voted into the top two posts, it was an indication that the party has yet to abandon the possibility of PAS-Umno cooperation.
Even though all the wings in PAS, except for the Dewan Ulama, have rejected the idea cooperation with its arch rivals, key players within the conservative-nationalists camp of the party seem to think that the party can gain more by collaborating with Umno-BN than with its current everyone-is-equal Pakatan Rakyat partners.
The new Secretary General Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS Chief Hassan Ali, together with Dewan Ulama Chief Harun Taib, have now gained a new lease of life after they won and were handed strategic positions in the party.
After the 2008 general election, thay were the main players pushing to secure positions of power in Selangor in the negotiations with former PM Abdullah Badawi and former Selangor MB Khir Toyo.
However, their flirtations with Umno was shot down by their own party colleagues led by the revered Nik Aziz together with pro-Pakatan leaders – Husam Musa, Khalid Samad and the gang.
While it is odd that PAS is the one pushing for these unity talks, Umno seems to be playing along in this charade just to hammer the wedge home and widen the cracks that are getting wider among the Pakatan members.
Umno, still the single biggest party in terms of Parliamentary seats won, have had to play second fiddle to PAS in the current unity government brouhaha.
While it is naïve for PAS to think that it can gain more by collaborating with Umno rather than the current Pakatan set-up, it seems that PAS is bent on trying to cement its long-held belief that it should be the anchor in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
PAS leaders and members alike have these notion that, by virtue of being the oldest partner, they have to assume the “big brother” mantle in their dealings with their more junior Pakatan partners.
Hence, these flings with Umno are only meant to wedge in some jealousy and also to “blackmail” PKR and DAP with the threat that they will not be able to survive without PAS's support.
What some PAS leaders fail to realise is that if their fling turn into a full-blown affair, it is their own party rank-and-file who will abandon them in droves.
Hadi, Nasha and Mustafa underestimate the still outspoken but frail Nik Aziz, who has shown that he hasn’t lost any of his sting.
Nik Aziz has been against the “unity government” talks right from the start, and he even lambasted Hadi openly in the Muktamar.
The Malays are still enamoured with Nik Aziz and hold him in high regards due to his religiosity and simple life.
Nik Aziz has openly expressed his disappointment with Husam and Khalid Samad’s loss to Nasha and his coterie of bandits.
With Mustafa Ali plotting from behind the scene using the exuberance yet dogmatic face of Nasharuddin Tantawi and the network of young PAS conservatives as well as the suave politician Nasharuddin Mat Isa, including the ever nationalist and Biro Tatanegara-oriented Hassan Ali, the main agenda of diluting Nik Aziz’s influence in the top leadership of PAS has been achieved successfully.
However, PAS members have shown that they will not be swayed that easily by balancing the top leadership with reformist elements occupying all three vice presidents’ posts – Sallahudin Ayub, Mahfuz Omar and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man – as well as putting in the moderate former Perak MB Nizar Jamaluddin as the highest ranking Central Committee member.
Sensing that he had to carry out damage control, Hadi has now changed his tune by adding the conditions that Umno satisfy the key criteria of restoring the independence of the judiciary, rule of law and respecting human rights before any talks with Umno can take place.
Even though certain Umno leaders have been over excited in their enthusiasm for the unity talks, it is clear that their agreement to the talks are only meant to draw PAS out and stir up conflict within the Pakatan coalition.
It is unimaginable that the veteran politician in Hadi is unable to read this gambit but the supposed on-the-table offer of the deputy prime ministership for Nasharuddin Mat Isa and Selangor mentri besar’s post for Hassan Ali have definitely turned their heads.
The position and posture of the party in the near future with regards to their membership of the newbie Pakatan Rakyat will determine the level of support for the party and at the same time affect Pakatan's march towards Putrajaya.

- published in The Malaysian Insider : June 14, 2009