The PASholds a strategic role in the current political situation in Malaysia, where the government and ruling coalition the Barisan National (BN) is facing a constant erosion of its powers. With the PAS postulating at the role of 'conflict resolution' party, it will simply gain more strength among non-Muslims and its image as a unifier of the nation will be boosted.

 

Since the 2004 elections, the PAS decided to change tactics by abandoning its claims for the imposition of a Islamic state in the country. It has also consolidated its PAS for Non-Muslims Supporters club, of which PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang said  was behind the huge success by the PAS in the past General Elections. He said the club conveyed PAS political philosophy to non-Muslim to eliminate their misunderstandings towards PAS, and has successfully gained their support.

After the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim, then Deputy Prime Minister in 1998, it compromised with the most feared Democratic Action Party (DAP) opposition party which the Malay community in general feels is anti-Malay/Muslim.

The PAS is also in alliance with the Party Keadilaan Rakyat (PKR) which is apparently willing to offer a deputy Prime Minister post to the first non-Muslim in Malaysia's political history. Many Malays-Muslims sees this as an erosion of 'their' political power but it is also possible that the PAS does not see it this way.

Would the PAS support the PRK's views on sharing the political power with the DAP by granting the latter party's top most leadership a role as the second or third Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia? This is yet to be disclosed by the PAS but its approach towards the Hindraf is unique and is debatable.

The Hindraf committed the one mistake that led to its ban. It went to disturb an Eid day celebrations where a majority of the visitors – some 200,000 turned out – were Malay-Muslims. It was a crowd that amazed the Malay-Muslim leadership of the Malaysian Cabinet as it appeared that since March 08, the Muslims and the Malaysians had deserted the ruling party the United Malay National Organization (Umno).

It was a wrong move by the Hindraf as it offended many Malays and this led to calls by several quarters to tackle the Hindraf with stronger hands. The Malaysian government had no choice but to take firm actions against the Hindraf by banning it.



The response from the Hindraf was to organize more protests and to use children as shield in the hope that the police would not act against the Hindu protestors. It backfired when the police arrested the entire group of people who wanted to hand over a memo to the Prime Minister. The government – de-facto the police – acted according to the laws of the country when it arrested the entire group.

The condemnable part is the arrest of the little girl, the daughter of a jailed Hindraf leader, who was later released. While the police is taking the rap for the arrest of the innocent little girl, the PAS offers to calm the situation by mediating between the government and the Hindu organization.

The Government of Malaysia has accused the organization as an extreme Hindu organization and classified it as deemed to be banned in the interest of the general public in Malaysia. The Umno cannot diffuse the situation since it has banned the Hindraf. The PKR is silent on the issue since it does not want to deal with the current Barisan National government in any way possible. The DAP is not the party that would approach the current BN government to try diffuse the conflict.

The Umno had to turn to the PAS (secretly or not) to try diffuse the situation since the government now has only one thing to do if the Hindraf continues to assemble at the Putrajaya police headquarters. It will use tear gas and will arrest more Hindraf supporters and this may end in a massive broil that will tarnish Malaysia's image further. This despite the fact that the Malaysian authorities would be doing the right thing – based on the existing laws in the country – if it arrested and tear gassed the Hindraf supporters.

The PAS is eventually the most convenient passage way for a mediating in the rising conflict. While to the regime in Putrajaya it is clear the Hindraf is showing its 'extreme' ways in dealing with its banishment. The PAS has had negotiations with the Umno in the recent months and was on the brink of jumping ship from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to join the Barisan National and form an all out Muslim alliance to salvage Malay political rights in the country.

With the PAS now offering to be the helping hand in the Hindraf crisis that is fast developing in the country, the Hindu community will find itself on the brink of re-joining the BN but under the umbrella of the PAS, an originally Malay-Muslim party that is still promoting Islam as its political tool.

It is clear that the PAS will not support a PR regime in the making if the Muslims will not reign supreme in the forthcoming coalition government to be formed by the opposition. It is also clear that the PAS will not allow an erosion of the Malaysian social fabric by letting the current ban on the Hindraf become a social ill that could affect the same social fabric of Malaysia.

This is a very new and positive role that the PAS has decided to play when two party leaders, vice-president Datuk Husam Musa and Youth Chief Salahuddin Ayub offered to mediate in the conflict.

It leads to the question on whether the PAS has grown into a true national party that can handle such issues like the Handraf and can cooperate with the DAP in forming a solid opposition coalition in Parliament?

The answer is the writing on the wall. The PAS has transformed into a major political force since March 08 this despite the fact that it gained less Parliamentary seats than its partners the PKR and the DAP but it controls 3 states in the country, which is a sign of its bravado.

Amid all the controversies that has arisen between Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang and the PAS Murshidul Am Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the party has suddenly showed its national wisdom and capability in a time when the Umno and the BN is flatly failing in maintaining the racial unity in the country.

Kudos to the PAS indeed if it succeeds – success in dealing with the Hindraf and the Umno is yet to come – in sealing a deal that will force the Hindraf to remain on its position and wait for the next general elections to give more support to the PAS.

For it is certain that the PAS is not going to sit back and let the Hindraf supporters vote non-PAS parties in the next general elections. The elections are far, very far but the PAS is wiser and is banking on a long term strategy that will bear its fruits in the long run. That alone shows the maturity with which the PAS has grown since March 08 and it is doubtful that this party will be treated as a 'backyard, Malay party' in the next General Elections.

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Common!
written by The Mind!, October 28, 2008

Dear Kazi Mahmood

What took them (PAS) so long to react?. TG Haji Hadi and Tg Nik Aziz cannot match the late PAS President, Almarhum Ust Fadhil Noor.

He gathered every Malaysian in GERAK and fight for the truth splendidly. The current leaders of PAS are waiting, see, wait further, see......wait again!.......sleep!

Sincerely

The Mind!

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