Pas' empty threat to quit Pakatan, strongly dependent on DAP and PKR for survival

HARD TO LEAVE: The parties that make up Pakatan Rakyat are probably too weak to survive alone
A THREAT can only be as good as one's ability to carry it out. If not, then the threat will not only be meaningless but also show weakness, instead of projecting strength.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's statement during the "Pas Ganti Umno" gathering at Kampung Banggol Peradong in Manir, Kuala Terengganu, on Saturday that the party will definitely leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if the collaboration with DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat adversely affects the Malays and Islam could be viewed as a threat to its allies to respect Pas' views on matters pertaining to Islam.
Hadi's following statement that Pas is with DAP and PKR in PR because the two parties had agreed to respect Islam as the official religion of Malaysia and the special privileges granted to the Malays in the Constitution could be seen as something that negates any necessity to quit PR.

But it could also be seen as setting the line which would make Pas leave PR if crossed by DAP or PKR.
Although he denied that it was a warning to DAP and PKR, it is hard to view the statement as empty talk because Hadi certainly would want to say something of substance to around 10,000 Pas supporters who attended the event.

It was no secret that Pas has had to deflect mounting pressure from DAP chairman Karpal Singh to review its Syura Council's decision on the 'kalimah Allah' issue which in turn made Pas followers jittery as it was something pertaining to Islam.

Any Pas supporter who was not satisfied with the way Karpal had treated the Syura Council's stand on the 'kalimah Allah' issue would have heaved a sigh of relief when Hadi made the statement.

However, at a press conference after the event, Hadi was non-committal when asked whether Pas would really leave PR if Islam was neglected, by saying that it was speculative.

"I cannot answer 'if', that is hypothetical, I cannot, so far there is no 'if'," he said, conveniently forgetting that his statement to leave PR was also hypothetical.

Since the whole thing was just hypothetical in nature, one could stretch it further by examining Pas' ability to carry out the threat to leave PR.

If Pas has had its way in PR in the past, then it can be safely concluded that the loose coalition of opposition parties will toe the line set by Hadi in his speech in order to ensure Pas continues to be with them.
However, seeing how Pas had dropped its Islamic State agenda and replaced it with the Benevolent State objective after Karpal's refusal to accept the former, there are doubts over the party's ability to carry out the threat to leave PR.

The fact that Pas will contest in more parliamentary seats compared with DAP and PKR in the next general election has often been bandied about in its political rallies and ceramah to portray its position and strength in PR, but it also highlighted that Pas was in political backwaters before PKR and DAP lent their strength behind it.

In short, Pas is now dependent on DAP and PKR to maintain its political position.
Without DAP and PKR, Pas would not have much strength to pull off the series of Pas Ganti Umno rallies, let alone dream of forming a government.

And the opposite is also true as DAP and PKR could not have gained so much in the last general election without Pas' support.

Stretching the hypothetical question further, if PR was able to wrest Putrajaya in the next general election, would they be able to formulate government policies without any of them flexing their muscle and threatening to quit the coalition over their differing views?

Will Pas quit PR over issues found to be detrimental to the Malays and Islam even if it means losing its position of power?

Nobody can be a sure winner in that situation but the country would surely suffer.

Hadi may say that these are all hypothetical and don't deserve to be pondered upon, but hypothetical situations can become reality faster than one can imagine.

When that happens, Hadi will find out that carrying out his threat is anything but hypothetical.


Read more: Pas' empty threat to quit Pakatan - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/pas-empty-threat-to-quit-pakatan-1.220811#ixzz2LIuQVjnl