PAS moves into high gear but Putrajaya isn't the destination

PAS' much-hyped Fastaqim 2.0 rally yesterday was seen as a show of strength by the party ahead of the 14th general election, which should be called in less than a year.

PAS claimed the party met the targeted turnout of 200,000 people while Malaysiakini estimated the size to be at around 50,000.

Regardless of the exact numbers, it was still an impressive showing, with many PAS supporters arriving along Pantai Tok Jembal in Kuala Terengganu last Friday and spent the night in tents for the finale yesterday.

Many were PAS supporters from outside Terengganu, including Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and even Penang.

The local Terengganu folk were less gung-ho about the event as they could return to their homes but were more than happy to indulge in the carnival-like atmosphere, which included archery contests, horse rides and a "pasar malam" of its own.

The theme about PAS' strength was also reflected in PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's speech during the finale, where he boasted about the party's growing influence.

"PAS continues to grow, and day by day, more supporters are coming to our side, as we are witnessing today," he said.

PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan too had played up a similar message of the party's growing influence, promising a "surprise" when journalists bombarded him about speculation that key leaders would be joining the party the next day.

Excitement grew on Saturday night when former Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim made an appearance on the PAS stage, as well as former top civil servants including former MACC deputy chief commissioner Zakaria Jaffar and former Road Transport Department deputy director Abdul Rahim Che Daud.

However, when the rally finally ended, the confidence booster that PAS' influence was the rise, at even at the topmost level, failed to materialise. Khalid, Zakaria and Abdul Rahim sang praise about PAS, but did not join the party.

There had been indications of high expectations of these people joining PAS - even the party's own mouthpiece Harakahdaily jumped the gun and reported that both Zakaria and Abdul Rahim had joined the party - which they did not.

Malaysiakini sought clarification from Nasrudin, who defended the report, arguing that "joining PAS" could have a different meaning.

"Joining PAS meant that they stand by PAS' struggle against corruption, its struggle for Islam and so on, not that they are becoming members," he said.

Looking beyond the gaffe, it highlighted PAS' challenge in bringing outsiders into the party as it becomes increasingly insular in recent years, abandoning its "PAS for All" slogan.

Despite the show of force, many of the participants, clad in bright green T-shirts, were already PAS members.

In the end, the rally showed the strength of the PAS' machinery - which has always been formidable - but not so much about its ability to attract the wider voter base that will be instrumental for winning the general election.

But winning the general election may not necessarily be PAS' main goal.

Hadi, in his speech, told the crowd that victory was not everything, adding that the party will survive even if it is defeated in the 14th general election.

"Other parties that lost in the general election have ended up perishing," he said, in reference to the many PAS splinter parties in the past.

Hadi also took aim at those who had left the party but refused to call its latest splinter - Amanah, which is part of Pakatan Harapan - by name.

Though Hadi did not go into specifics, the message was clear - that PAS was prepared to take a hardline stance to punish those who are perceived to have wronged the party.

This includes a collision course with Harapan, which PKR vice-president Tian Chua had warned of the two "slaughtering each other" in the next general election.

Hadi has repeatedly justified the possibility of the damaging clash by reminding that PAS was not just a political party, but also an Islamic movement that does not only measure its strength through elections.

Despite the rhetoric about strength, talk about defeat shows that PAS acknowledges that the party's strength has its limits.

Nonetheless, it remains a formidable party that can either complement or cancel out the strength of the wider opposition in the battle for Putrajaya.- Mkini