PAS EXERTS ITS STAND, SHAKING THE ALREADY SINKING PR ALLIANCE

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is splitting up as fast as they got together some years ago given the present situation where PAS exerts the party’s ideology to the ‘anger and disappointment’ of partners DAP and PKR. PAS latest ruling in Kedah where only males and schoolchildren are allowed to do stage performances cuts deep into the already sour relationship the party has with DAP and PKR. PAS’ latest move, besides the decision that non-Muslims cannot use the word ‘ALLAH’ in their scriptures, are seen as a bid to distance itself from the other two parties as ‘political enmity’ widens with regards to each other’s party philosophy and concept. While DAP plays the race card and Christianity, PAS stands firm with its Islamic philosophy and concept, a clash that has no common platform to ‘stand together’ as a united front in toppling BN. As the enmity widens, PAS is building up its strength which garners since 1950s among purely the Malay-Muslim community, despite its leaders sitting around the same table with DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and son Lim Guan Eng and PKR Anwar Ibrahim. PAS fundamentalists that included president Abdul Hadi Awang have been defending the party from young liberals backed by Anwar, whose aim to manipulate the party for his own selfish interests. Although Anwar’s men have penetrated PAS leadership line-up to the level of deputy president, decisions are still made by the syura council, the highest policy making body in the party which Anwar has failed to penetrate. Anwar miscalculated the party’s structure as the present situation reveals PAS’ policies are against Anwar’s pluralism and liberalism concept of life and Anwar cannot do anything with it. Just like the use of the word ALLAH where the party supreme council said non-Muslims were allowed to use but the party syura council said no, and the party followed syura council’s decision. PAS’ policies reveals the party is still as fundamentalist as ever and in fact, leaning towards extremism which Anwar fails to control through his men in PAS leadership level. The three parties are going separate ways in the coming general election despite ‘the marriage they are in’, worse scenario is they are at loggerheads, particularly PAS and DAP. PAS has problems with DAP in Kelantan and Kedah and the Chinese in general with its fundamentalist laws that affect their (Chinese) lifestyle. PAS’ ways are distancing the Chinese from supporting the opposition alliance and this worry Anwar and PKR the most because as far as DAP is concern, the party’s target is only the Chinese and Christians, not Malays and Muslims. PKR, on the other hand, devoid of philosophies and concept, aims every one in the name of pluralism and openness and of course…loyal to only Anwar as THE leader…just like DAP members in Penang – loyal only to Guan Eng the tokong. Given the present situation the three parties are in, it will be no surprise if PAS goes alone in the general election, placing the party’s candidates in PKR seats.