Muhyiddin can’t stay silent on PAS-Gerakan spat, says analyst

 

Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has yet to publicly comment on the ongoing spat between his component parties PAS and Gerakan over funding for Chinese-medium schools. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin needs to act swiftly to resolve tensions between component parties PAS and Gerakan over the issue of funding for Chinese-medium schools, says a political analyst.

Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said Muhyiddin should not remain silent on the matter as he is viewed as the cornerstone of PN’s stability.

He said that silence by the Bersatu president could also backfire on PN and damage its chances at the Nenggiri by-election on Aug 17.

Muhyiddin needs to act promptly as a mediator because this crisis will test his leadership as a dominant figure in PN,

 Ariff told FMT.

“Especially with PN contesting the Nenggiri by-election, Muhyiddin’s silence will be questioned by the grassroots.

The best course of action is to call representatives from PAS and Gerakan for discussions to reach common ground.

The spat between PAS and Gerakan began when the Islamic party criticised a deputy minister for receiving a RM3 million mock cheque bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a fundraiser for SJK(C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau said the government should not hinder the long-standing tradition of fundraising activities at Chinese schools while his deputy president Oh Tong Keong said the party would not hesitate to leave PN if its allies continued to display 

religious extremism

 and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah meanwhile said PAS would not object to Gerakan quitting PN while PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the Islamic party might not be able to work with Gerakan in the next general election if it maintained its position.

Yesterday, however, PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar told Sinar Harian that the party had no plans to reconsider its cooperation with Gerakan. Lau meanwhile said that such disagreements were 

a normal part of life

.

Analysts Azmi Hassan and Lau Zhe Wei agreed that the spat between PAS and Gerakan was 

political rhetoric

 aimed at garnering support from their respective bases.

Gerakan needs to show that it is brave enough to address this issue as it can help get sympathy from the non-Malay voters. Meanwhile, PAS is adamant about defending its stance, and it cannot be seen as bowing down to Gerakan,

 said Azmi, a fellow at the National Council of Professors.

This seems to be just a staged performance and political maneuvering (by PAS and Gerakan) to give their supporters the perception that they are defending their respective ideologies.

Lau, of International Islamic University Malaysia, said PAS and Gerakan were merely twisting each other’s arguments without providing any solutions.

He and Azmi also said that Muhyiddin should refrain from commenting on the conflict.

Muhyiddin should remain silent and not intervene. If he does, he will have to side with either PAS or Bersatu,

 Azmi said.

If Muhyiddin speaks out, it will definitely upset one of the parties,

 added Lau. 

It is better for him to stay silent. - FMT