For PAS, is politics about principles or interests?

PAS leaders will need to decide if the party is going to fulfil its promises to its allies or act on self-interests. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 22, 2014.

Apparently PAS is in a quandary. Whether to support the Election Commission's (EC) redelineation of parliamentary constituencies, which would create more Malay-Muslim-majority federal seats.

Or oppose it with allies in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), who believe it just a way for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) to increase seats and get their customary two-thirds parliamentary super-majority lost in
the past two general elections.

A source in the Islamist party said they would benefit from the additional seats in Malay-majority areas, particularly in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis‎, should the redelineation exercise take
place.

The four states did not get extra seats when electoral boundaries were redrawn in 2003, which the source believed was to halt the party's progress after it won big in the 1999 general election.‎

"PAS is now in a dilemma.‎ Ditelan mati emak, diluah mati bapa," said a senior PAS leader, quoting a Malay phrase which meant facing a difficult situation.

There isn't really a dilemma for PAS.

The Islamist political party just has to decide whether it wants to fulfil its promises to its allies in PR and the voters who supported the coalition or act on self-interests and join BN in expanding the federal Parliament.

The 52% of the electorate supported a coalition that promised good governance, an Islamic welfare state and equity for all – just as much as the remaining 47% voted to stick with BN.

The only difference is that BN kept the government due to the unequal electorate in each federal seat, especially in rural areas which have far fewer voters than in urban areas.

If PAS believes redrawing the seats in the four Malay states will help it, then it is delusional. In recent history, the Islamist party could only last one term in Kedah and Terengganu, unlike its long reign in
Kelantan.

So, even the Muslims in these Malay-majority states have rejected them, not the others. What are the chances that creating more seats will mean a greater share for PAS?

Zero. Because the only coalition profiting from more federal seats will be BN, especially politicians who believe Malays need to unite to ensure Malay supremacy.

The PAS leadership has to think far and deep in this matter, particularly those who have been working on reaching out to other communities. PAS has to decide which is more important, principles or interests.

The principle of pledging to keep within a coalition and the promises made to the people or the interest of just winning along ethnic and religious lines.

Its allies PKR and DAP will also have to decide what the PR coalition is all about. A loose grouping of parties only interested in winning power without concrete social and economic policies or a coalition
that wants a better Malaysia for Malaysians.

That goes beyond religion, vernacular schools, cheaper fuel and cars, or going to the streets at the drop of a hat.

Two elections have seen PR gaining ground on promises to be better than BN. The next election will be based on PR and BN's  respective track records – not promises which remain just that – promises.

- TMI