PAS must state their stand and not sway

 

From Clement Stanley

No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will hold on to one and despise the other.

I believe this is what political analysts Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid and Oh Ei Sun have, in not so many words, said about the “neither-here-nor-there” attitude of PAS regarding their electoral support for Umno and Bersatu come GE15.

When I first read the statement by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the image of one analogy popped up in my head.

“Lallang” – the weed that sways in whichever direction the wind blows.

In Malaysian lingo, it is used to describe the fickle politician who dances to the tune of his master or his party regarding a stance on some issue. It is a spineless characteristic designed only to serve one’s own selfish needs.

The word cowardice could be appropriately used in this situation, setting aside adjectives like principles, integrity and credibility.

And PAS has displayed such a “lallang” quality. Its recent stance on the 4D special draws is a prime example.

Never mind that the party projects itself as a guardian of faith-based moral values, which they say is good for the soul and nation.

But alas, when push comes to shove, they can do no more than to play the game of “this is good for you but not for me”.

Now, PAS is being challenged by Umno to state who they will support come GE15. The attempt by Tuan Ibrahim to answer that key question was nothing more than to spout hollow words normally associated with empty vessels.

While Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has declared Muafakat Nasional – the alliance it formed with PAS – as all but dead, PAS has rather meekly stated it would support the incumbent of the seats.

That is just not good enough. Not by a long shot. If they have any courage left in them, if they have any guts, they should come out boldly and make their stand known.

Unless of course, like the “lallang”, they first want to see which way the wind blows before coming out to state their stance – if they even have one.- FMT

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT