Shahbudin: PAS has become a really shameless party

PAS, a party expected to have some integrity, cannot expect anything by forming a Third Force with an empty party like Ikatan and doing an "about-turn" on hudud.

KUALA LUMPUR: It would be better for PAS to put on a “thick face” and get together with Umno to re-join the Barisan Nasional (BN), ventured a political analyst in a blog posting. “No matter which way that PAS turns, with the new bloc, rest assured that its ultimate objective is Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno.”

“PAS cannot expect anything from Ikatan, an empty party. It’s really shameful to see what has been happening to PAS, a party expected to have some integrity.”

Already, added Shahbudin Husin the analyst in a separate blog posting, former Federal Minister and Ikatan President Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir claims that PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang told him that what PAS tabled in Parliament was not about hudud but to raise the profile of the Syariah Court.

“Kadir said that hudud, according to Hadi, will be considered later as it was not suitable to be implemented in Malaysia.”

“It was over hudud that PAS, under Hadi, broke with DAP.”

The analyst was commenting on Hadi explaining his new block as “opposing by way of giving advice, and rejecting extreme opposition like that promoted by Pakatan Harapan”.

“When it’s time to fight, we fight, but at other times, we will get close to the government to advise it so that it can correct its weaknesses and mistakes,” the analyst quoted Hadi as adding.

Shahbudin recalled that he had expected PAS to finally come to an understanding with Ikatan. “They want to form a third bloc in the country as opposition.”

“It’s interesting that despite PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan’s earlier claims, no NGO joined the PAS-Ikatan block, being promoted as a Third Force.”

In contrast, Parti Amanah Negara broke off with PAS but went on to forge ties with DAP and PKR, both strong allies, as Pakatan Harapan.

The question that arises, said the analyst, was who was riding on whom. “Ikatan itself remains unknown, its top leadership not revealed, and the number of registered members not disclosed.”

“Many wonder whether PAS was riding on Ikatan or the latter was riding on the former. Either PAS must be able to increase its strength as a result of the tie-up with Ikatan or vice versa.”

Again, within the current context, Ikatan can be dismissed as an empty party compared with PAS, said Shahbudin. “Besides its leadership being unknown, and its membership strength not being disclosed, no one knows from which state and areas Ikatan draws its strength, if any.”

Delving into Kadir’s background, the analyst recalled that he was more recently the Deputy President of Amanah, an NGO helmed by Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. “He left Amanah when his intention to turn it into a political party was not accepted.”

“In Ikatan, Kadir is Ikatan and Ikatan is Kadir. No other name has been linked with the party in public.”

Musa Sheikh Fadzir dan Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, both Kadir’s brothers, are in Umno as divisional chiefs, said Shahbudin. “If Kadir wields any political influence, his brothers would be with him in Ikatan, and not in Umno.”