By Zainal Epi - The Malaysian InsiderCOMMENT KOTA BARU: Things do not look rosy for Pakatan Raktyat in the next general election now that PAS has officially opened its doors to non-Muslims.
By establishing a PAS Supporters Congress, the party has given disgruntled Chinese and Indians who need a platform, a chance to continue their political struggles.
Although the members of this congress have no right to vote nor have a say in PAS policies, the platform is seen as a way out for them to show their displeasure for their former parties.
In setting up the wing, PAS aims to widen its support base, a move it first attempted in the 1980s but fizzled out due to lack of support and its image as an Islamic fundamentalist.
However, it has undergone a transformation. Ulamaks with skull caps and green robes have taken a backseat to young intellectuals wearing neckties, eating in hotel coffee-houses and speaking eloquent English.
Portraying a moderate face of Islam seemed to have paid off handsomely for PAS as in the 2008 general election, even non-Muslims carried the party’s flags on campaign rounds.
Given the change in the political landscape, and with the ruling Barisan Nasional component parties losing influence and credibility, the new wing is a judicious move.
By establishing this supporters; congress, PAS is now also seen as attempting to be the dominant force in three-party coalition of PAS, PKR and DAP that make up Pakatan Raktyat
It reaches out to ‘dissatisfied’ members of the partner-parties, especially when the seemingly dominant PKR is embroiled in a ‘credibility crisis’ from within.
The Indians in PKR have openly voiced their dissatisfaction at the party leadership and they are now looking for an alternative platform to continue their political struggle.
The Chinese in PKR, though not that many, are also having similar thoughts, and with PAS making available a platform, may just jump over without being accused of ‘selling out to BN'.
Tolerant face of Islam
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said members of the wing could contest the general election under the PAS ticket. This will not only benefit the individuals but more so to PAS.
The move is likely to affect unity and reduce the support base of PKR and even DAP as ‘quite a number of party members are angry at father-son hold on the party’.
DAP is worried PAS' open policies would erode its support from the Chinese while PKR also worries its influence among them would decline, and Indian support reduced drastically.
PAS, in its eagerness to widen its support base, is stepping on its friends’ toes but this is just a coincidence, and not a deliberate move.
Like PAS Youth central committee member Nik Abdul Nik Abdul Aziz said, the move was inevitable and competing for the non-Muslim vote was perfectly normal.
“By allowing a non-Muslim to contest under PAS' banner goes a long way to show Islam is tolerant,” he said.
Abdul Hadi, in leading the move, has also chosen to stay ‘silent’ this time around on PAS’ objective of setting up an Islamic state which it has been pursuing since its formation in 1955.
After all, as some say, politics is a game of the impossible and PAS is proving the adage right.
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