Thesun 2009-06-08 Page06 Pas Dilemma

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theSun

| MONDAY JUNE 8 2009

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PAS dilemma IT WAS a PAS dilemma – it wants to play a much bigger role in the opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat, while at the same time it wants to be with Umno should there be a danger of the Malays losing political power. This is reflected in the composition of the new central committee elected on Friday. While the top posts went to those who prefer to talk with Umno, many of those who want to play a more proactive role in the PR were also elected to the committee. It was the most watched PAS triennial elections. Understandably, its other Pakatan Rakyat associates watched the show with a lot of interest. So did Umno and its partners in the Barisan Nasional coalition. And so did other Malaysians. That the candidates, who are ulama, and their supporters managed to keep the others out of the top party leadership must have disappointed PKR leaders who were known to be close to those who lost and who could, had they won, help cement a closer relationship between the two parties. There is no doubt the DAP leaders, known to be uncomfortable with PAS on many issues, were disappointed too. They had hoped the election would be won by those who could be influenced not to flaunt the party’s Islamic state objective in public. Indeed, some young DAP leaders have been known to be talking to young PAS leaders to try to persuade them to suppress the party’s “Islamic state” objective in the interest of exercising power in Putrajaya. Thus the two parties had placed much hope on Kelantan exco member Datuk Husam Musa, a charismatic party vice-president and protégé of party icon and spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, defeating incumbent deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa, who was going for his third term. Husam, an economist, seems to be most committed to the idea of Pakatan Rakyat. He is against

Comment by Zainon Ahmad [email protected]

any trucking with Umno and made no secret of his opposition to Nasharudin playing footsie with the leading party in the BN. He accepts the argument that PAS won the most number of parliamentary seats ever in March 2008 because it was a beneficiary of the appeal by PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the electorate, who were generally dissatisfied with the BN, to register their protest by “voting anything but the BN.” For PAS to win more seats in the next general election, expected to be called within the next three years, it has to retain the non-Malays who voted for it last year and perhaps gain more, the party – in light of the BN working hard to spruce up its image – has to show a much friendlier face. To PKR and DAP and many others, especially the non-Malays, Husam would have been the most acceptable face of PAS. To him, the Islamic state that PAS has been talking about for a long time is but a distant objective. If Husam and his associates, especially those from Kelantan, suffered by being ousted from the party’s central committee altogether, Nik Aziz’s image and reputation suffered even more because of his backing for them and what they stand for. Clearly the Tok Guru, much revered in Kelantan, who had expected party delegates to stand by him, had underestimated the opposition of his fellow ulama to the idea of a closer cooperation in Pakatan Rakyat. Perhaps the only party that heaved a sigh of relief at the defeat of Husam and his friends is Umno. That no sigh is heard is because some Umno lead-

PAS leadership for 2009-2011

Nasharudin (with hands raised) and Nik Aziz (inset) at the PAS muktamar in Shah Alam yesterday.

President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (won uncontested)

well-organised party so as to wrench away from Umno the leadership of the Malay community. It is tempting to describe the defeat of Husam and his associates as the defeat of the liberals and the progressive elements within PAS just as it is tempting to describe those he and his friends tried to topple as conservatives. They have also been described as reformists and collectively called Erdogan, after Turkish Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan who headed the reformist group in his party. Those they opposed have been described as being anti-reform. The contest on Friday had also been described as the ulama versus the non-ulama or the professionals. Nothing is so simple as within each group there are ulama who are liberal and also those who are conservative and some ulama are also professionals. Nik Aziz, an ulama, had backed Husam while Hadi, also an ulama and a Tok Guru, is with Nasharudin. Thus, the Husam-Nasharudin fight could also be seen as a proxy fight between the two Tok Guru. After all, Nik Aziz had rebuked Hadi publicly and the party president is not too happy about it. But what is clear is there are those in PAS who don’t want to wait another 50 years to govern at the federal level and who saw being part of the Pakatan Rakyat as an opportunity to reach Putrajaya early – even if they have to work with the DAP. Opposing them are those who generally feel they don’t mind working with the DAP and PKR for the moment and are unsure whether they should coalesce further with them but would prefer to cooperate with Umno should there be a danger of the Malays losing political power.

Deputy President Nasharudin Mat Isa (480 votes) Vice-presidents Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (871 votes) Salahuddin Ayub (824 votes) Datuk Mahfuz Omar (636 votes) Central Working Committee Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin Idris Ahmad Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak Datuk Dr Hassan Ali Dr Mohd Hatta Mohd Ramli Abdul Gani Samsuddin Datuk Abu Bakar Che Hanipa Maidin Datuk Amirruddin Hamzah Dr Lo Lo Mohd Ghazali Abdul Ghani Abdul Rahman Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad Dr Syed Azman Syed Nawawi Hashim Jasin Mazlan Ali Man Taib Azamuddeen Taib Dr Muhajid Yusuf Rawa

ers prefer to do it quietly while others continue to be in denial and insist Umno is never under threat. Had Husam won, he would probably have made good his boast to build up PAS – president Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang and those influencing him notwithstanding – into a strong and

briefs Shafie: ‘Unity govt’ only if ... MALACCA: Umno must study PAS’ proposal for a unity government to see whether it is in the interests of the country and people or for the sake of party politics before making any decision, said Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. He said the proposal to implement the formation of a unity government must be based on sincerity. “If the proposal is for the benefit of the country and people, we must see how it can boost national development, especially in the wake of the global economic recession,” he told reporters after closing the national-level Kemas Kindergarten Potentials Day here on Saturday night. Mohd Shafie, who is also rural and regional development

minister, was commenting on the statement by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that he was confident the idea of forming a unity government between PAS and Umno could be implemented if everyone understood the objectives of its formation. – Bernama

Khairy hopeful for Umno-PAS talks KUALA TERENGGANU: Umno Youth hopes the discussion between Umno and PAS can be continued following the re-election of Nasharudin Mat Isa as PAS deputy president yesterday. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said UmnoYouth kept an open mind on cooperation with PAS because after the last general election, the question of bilateral discussions between the two parties had begun to be discussed. “With Ustaz Nasharudin’s victory, the ‘muzakarah’ or discussion agenda can be continued,” he told reporters after a Terengganu Youth programme organised in collaboration with

the Terengganu state government and state Umno, here on Saturday night. – Bernama

PAS wants govt to scrap PPSMI SHAH ALAM: The 55th PAS annual general assembly that ended yesterday passed a motion urging the government to immediately abolish the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI). Rembau delegate Taufik Abdul Ghani, who tabled the motion, said the party objected to the Education Ministry’s move to delay the people’s demand for the scrapping of PPSMI. The motion was seconded by former Perak mentri besar and PAS central working committee member Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin. The motion also disapproved of the ministry’s rejection of the first study of PPSMI’s effectiveness during Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s tenure as education minister and said the second study by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the new minister was a waste. – Bernama