AS Umno and PAS inch closer to a political union, the main focus of leaders of the country’s two largest Malay-Muslim parties is to make grassroots members understand that they are now cooperating.
The two parties have organised a number of joint awareness programmes to build cohesion and strengthen their relationship ahead of the September 14 signing of the cooperation agreement.
Kelantan Umno Youth chief Noor Hariri Mohd Noor said in the state, the programmes were mostly ceramah “as there are some members who are still sceptical of the Umno and PAS cooperation”.
“There has been talk that PAS will pull out of the union and Umno is looking for a lifeline.
“That’s why we have taken PAS on board to reach out to our members. We also have MCA and the MIC on board because we also want to make it clear that this unity will cover all Malaysians,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
In two weeks, a ceremony at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur will see Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang ink an agreement that sets the terms of the cooperation.
Hariri said the union will bridge the decades-old religious split prevalent in the Malay heartland. In extreme cases, Umno and PAS supporters have been reported to pray in separate surau.
Since PAS was booted out of the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, the relationship between Umno and PAS is not as strained as before, he said.
Kuala Selangor PAS Youth chief Azril Hairi Ahmad said it would not be much trouble to explain to party members about the cooperation as they have placed their faith in the leadership.
Solidarity with Umno is growing through joint programmes and activities, Azril said.
“We have held several programmes together with Umno – like futsal tournaments, watching football matches together – to forge friendships and strengthen cooperation.
“The response from the members is very encouraging.
“Apart from the joint programmes, we have also established the ummah unity secretariat at the youth level. Through this secretariat we plan programmes and strategies together,” he said.
Azril said Terengganu is an exception, as no effort has been made by the two parties’ state chapter to cooperate.
Terengganu Umno Youth chief Tengku Haphiz Tengku Putera said they will wait for the formalities to be inked on September before discussing their programmes.
“In Terengganu, we do not have joint programmes with PAS, unlike in other states, but we would invite them to attend our programme and they would do the same.
“Once there is an agreement, we will formally form a technical committee and move on.”
Haphiz didn’t rule out the possibility that this was because Umno and PAS are the dominant parties in Terenganu and that the state administration only changed hands among them.
“Umno and PAS are the dominant parties in Terengganu. Although there is no official cooperation, we are not fighting.”
The cooperation between Umno and PAS is aimed at regaining and strengthening their Malay bases to defeat Pakatan Harapan in the next elections.
Umno-PAS pact can reform Malays, says Mohamad
A PACT between Umno and PAS should not be viewed negatively as it is could change and reform Malay-Muslims, said Mohamad Hasan.
The Umno deputy president said Malays should reinvent themselves to be more competitive and receptive towards change.
He said they must, however, be rooted in religious and cultural values.
“All communities must understand that the interests of the Malay-Muslim majority must be protected.
“However, this does not mean that the Malays/Bumiputera are first-class citizens and other communities are second or third,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He also said the development of the majority race should be made an important agenda by the government.
“A plural society in the context of Malaysia could not work if the majority is left behind economically and their identity is ridiculed by politicians, who are eager to rewrite the national narrative for their political mileage.”
He was responding to academic Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, who had recently written about why Malaysia has failed in his article titled “A meaningless Merdeka”.
Tajuddin blamed the failure on the reluctance of the Malay voters to change, and on the political cooperation between PAS and Umno.
Mohamad disagreed with Tajuddin’s findings.
“The two of the largest Malay-Muslim political parties share ample resources in mobilising mass political support, and are also able to ameliorate the hearts and minds of the Malays.
“This is possible through a renewed outlook of nationalism and Islam, that is compatible with progress, modernity, and democracy.
“Such an endeavour is vital. Stable, dynamic and mature Malay-Muslim politics form a vital component in this political cooperation. All parties must be committed to making this a reality,” he said.
Mohamad also hit out at Tajuddin by saying that if he wanted a stronger and more unified Malaysia, he should look around and stop detaching himself from the realities on the ground.
“Certainly, the ‘holier than thou’ attitude of an armchair intellectual is of no help in making Malaysia a better place. The truth is Malay-Muslim politics matter,” he added.
Mohamad also listed his take on nation-building for a resilient Malaysia in the decades to come.
“First, we cannot deny that there should be a construction of a new ‘Malaysia Narrative’. But it must not forgo the fact that the Malay-Muslims, as the majority race in the country should be given priority.
“This is done, as mentioned earlier, not to segregate and degrade other citizens to a lower class or strata. But to ensure stability and peace for all in Malaysia’s plural society.”
Secondly, he added, is the reinforcement, understanding, and implementation of the National Culture Policy of 1971, which highlights that the national culture must be based on the indigenous cultures of this region, suitable elements from other cultures may be accepted as part of the national culture, and that Islam as an important component in the formulation of the national culture.
– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/
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