PAS may give way to PKR in Kerdau

A realistic PAS leadership may not want to lose further credibility going into Kerdau.

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS may abandon its aspirations to contest the Kerdau state seat by-election and focus all its effort instead on Merlimau. This, despite the fact that its chances of reducing the Barisan Nasional (BN) majority in Merlimau, is next to zero.

PAS party leaders have apparently miscalculated the date of Kerdau by-election and the wrong judgement has not only put them in a “Catch-22” situation but also deprived them of an opportunity to redeem themselves following their “shameful” defeat in Tenang recently.

PAS believes it has a better and more concrete chance of reducing BN’s 1,600 majority in Kerdau than in the Umno bastion of Merlimau.

Kerdau, a sleepy hollow often bypassed by travellers, is located between Mentakab and Temerloh.

Its verdant landscape is littered with rubber and oil palm plantations which come alives at dawn and settles at dusk.

Nothing much happens here and a by-election is a much anticipated excitement.

Kerdau has 8,000-plus voters with about 400 Chinese and 100-odd Indians.

PAS’ optimism in Kerdau is not in the winning but in reducing the 1,600-odd majority that BN gained in the 2008 general election.

It is targeting the dissatisfied electorate which has not been “serviced” since a year ago when incumbent Zaharuddin Abu Kassim (BN) fell ill.

Zaharuddin died on Feb 12 paving the way for the 16th by-election since the 2008 general election.

Too taxing

To its advantage, four Felda settlements in Kerdau have some hardcore PAS supporters.

Bearing this in mind, Kerdau would have been an ideal battleground to regain some credibility for PAS after Tenang.

But logically for PAS to go for simultaneous by-elections will be stretching its resources thin and its leaders know this.

Within the next few days, the party leaders would meet to decide on whether to contest or not.

Many PAS leaders would prefer for the party to stay out of Kerdau and focus instead on Merlimau since the party had already committed itself to unseating BN.

They feel that it is best that Kerdau seat is left to PAS allies in Pakatan Rakyat – DAP and PKR.

For PKR this might be that “golden opportunity” and one they are likely to embrace.

While Merlimau is a foregone conclusion, Kerdau is a “new gem” which could help PKR bounce back.

Chance to re-bounce

PKR, which is plagued with all sorts of problems that threaten to pull the party down before the next general election, is looking for a platform to “rejuvenate” its existence and chart a new path.

Majority of its members and more so the public view the party as “a sinking ship”, a modern-day Titanic that has not only lost its direction but also of having a captain who has neither foresight nor insight.

With Kerdau as a platform, PKR will see an opportunity to “re-bounce’ if given a chance.

Perhaps now that simultaneous by-elections in Kerdau and Merlimau have been set for March 6, PKR may get that chance.

But the question, however, is whether PKR is ready to battle BN and if it will want to take the chance?

Unlike PAS, whose political foundation is deeply rooted, Kerdau, if handed to PKR, will be a major test of its sustainability, credibility and relevance.

Can PKR survive the aftermath of Kerdau if it is thrashed? Will it still be relevant in the larger battle to secure a change in government? - FMT