KUALA LUMPUR - Umno, having identified itself with hudud, is increasingly no longer in a position to get back the support of the Chinese as in the past and even more so if the forces of moderation in PAS can seize the leadership of the party from the ulama and restore its informal opposition alliance with DAP and PKR.
Mat Sabu, PAS Deputy President, sees Najib Abdul Razak being retained as Prime Minister as opening the road to Putrajaya for Pakatan Rakyat.
Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin, in pointing out this in a blog posting, recalled that it was fear of hudud that for so long kept the Chinese with Umno. “The Chinese, before the coming of the Pakatan Rakyat, saw PAS as a party which was not given to diplomacy and instead bent on implementing Islamic laws including hudud.”
“It’s within this context that DAP Adviser Lim Kit Siang’s attack on hudud in Kota Baru, the stronghold of PAS and its immunity, must be seen.”
Lim, added Zainuddin, was making a brave attempt to support the forces of moderation in PAS to overcome the grip of the ulama on the party. “Lim wants to help PAS free itself from the old-fashioned fanaticism and bigotry in PAS on which the ulama thrived.”
“Such pro-hudud PAS members continue to be a thorn in the flesh of Pakatan Rakyat.”
The rise or fall of the forces of moderation in PAS, argued the former Minister turned political analyst cum blogger, will determine the fate of DAP as well. “Lim’s brazen attack in Kota Baru on hudud was also meant to retain the confidence of the Chinese in the party, shaken by its alliance with PAS.”
“Lim was being provocative in Kota Baru with a reason.”
Zainuddin dismissed the notion that Lim had insulted hudud. “He was being realistic on the dangers of implementing Islamic laws to an extent that it doesn’t comply with the clear lines between Syariah and civil laws which had been used for so long in this country and ensured harmony among the different ethnic groups and religions.”
“The hudud of the ulama, by blurring the lines, would disrupt the existing harmony among the people.”
PAS, he reminded, has identified itself with militant Islam in Iran – a Shite nation – and which has infiltrated Malaysia, including the student movement, in various forms and made them hate the government. “They don’t have an analytical mind and instead are persuaded by revelations (wahyu).”
This image was submerged, continued Zainuddin, when PAS embraced the welfare state concept over the Islamic state that they had for so long advocated. “This was successful in convincing the non-Muslims, especially the Chinese, that PAS had accepted the reality that Malaysia was a country of multis – multireligious and so on. That brought PAS its winning streak in the general elections.”
PAS was seen as tolerant in some matters and as sympathetic to non-Muslims in other issues based on the Federal Constitution. “PAS leaders who were intolerant in such matters were sidelined.”
The politics of PAS continued to show Umno as a racist party unfair to non-Muslims and riding on Malay chauvinism and fanaticism.
That may be soon all in the past.
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“The ulama in PAS now see a need to return to their pre-Pakatan roots or risk being submerged and their dignity being trampled upon. Even worse for the ulama, the secular and moderate forces in PAS are realistic enough to accept that the survival of the party depended on freedom and adapting to the process of globalization.”
The ulama, after having retreated to the back, see hudud as the panacea, the magical cure to revive the flagging spirits of their supporters and to restore the confidence of Muslims in them.
Umno, which under then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had opposed what it sees as hudud PAS, sees helping to revive the image that the ulama want as one way out of its own weaknesses, said Zainuddin. “Umno has retreated from its previous pre-hudud position which has been taken over by the forces of moderation in PAS.”
“The moderate forces in PAS are criticizing the ulama in the same way that Umno used to do.”
The former Minister cited Khalid Abdul Samad, Mohamad Sabu, Husam Musa, Mohd Hatta Ramli, Salahuddin Ayub and others as being in the forefront among the moderate forces in PAS. “When Ahmad Awang, known as even more extreme and intolerant than PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang, joined the forces of moderation to overthrow the ulama led by Hadi, it was the last straw (for the ulama).”
“This is the big wager in the struggle for power in PAS.”
Is it any wonder therefore that the ulama in PAS are grateful for the support expressed by Umno for hudud, asks Zainuddin. “This is the issue which can see Hadi retained as PAS President although the parity would be confined to Kelantan.”
“What will happen if Barisan Nasional (BN) returns to power in Kelantan?”
It’s not surprising therefore that Hadi has expressed support for Najib Abdul Razak to continue as Prime Minister. “This co-operation must be seen within the context of both parties, PAS and Umno, being in a difficult situation and not from the perspective of national politics or religion,” said Zainuddin. “I don’t want to see this co-operation from a negative perspective only since it may have an effect from the leadership level right down to the grassroots in both parties.”
He doesn’t get into the specifics at this juncture.
He noted that both Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian had screaming headlines on Hadi’s support for Najib to continue as Prime Minister. “They probably can see that Hadi doesn’t see any benefits in Umno continuing to be bogged down by a weak leadership.” - FMT
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