FUNDAMENTAL FLAW: How much longer can the party compromise its Islamic agenda?
IT is too obvious, except for the fervent faithful, that Pas is taking way too much abuse and punishment from its dalliance in Pakatan Rakyat. Perhaps many would have observed how recent political events had Pas bending over backwards in submitting to the demands of keeping the Pakatan dream alive. Political parties changing principles or directions is not necessarily bad. Many do so over time and circumstances.
Pas, however, is no ordinary political party. Its leaders claim that it runs on a religious agenda, and is not driven by secular ideologies, such as nationalism, socialism or communism. Pas' pursuit is supposedly pure, its mission seemingly nobler, which, among others, is to implement Islamic law and governance. It claims to serve a higher purpose, and its members and supporters believe that the Pas' political pursuit is "jihad", or religious struggle and sacrifice, and they should be rewarded in the hereafter for their politics.It is also a party that used -- but perhaps no longer - to question Umno's Islamic credentials and declared the latter's alliance with non-Muslims as something akin to blasphemy.
All this, however, was before Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang linked up with Lim Guan Eng and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be brothers-in-arms in their pursuit of Putrajaya.
However, several events in the past year have put Pas on the defensive. Its supporters claim reports on these issues are part of the media's agenda to target and engineer rifts in the Pakatan. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the media can only give Pas the rope, and if the party decides to hang itself with it, there is nothing anyone can do.
Its shelving of hudud, or Islamic law, is an example of how Pas had sacrificed its principles in its tryst with DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Karpal Singh's implement-hudud-over-my-dead-body had Pas walking all over the party's cherished and, before this, almost chiselled-in-stone Islamic state mission. Its proposed welfare state instead is surely a come-down from what is advertised to the party faithful. That the party's Syura Council seemingly grew some spine the past few weeks to tell off Nik Aziz, Hadi and anyone else who was for allowing the word "Allah" to be used in Malay language Bibles may be a sign of unease among Pas members who see their ideals and principles being weighed down by political exigencies.
The council is more than just the conscience of the party; it ensures that Pas remains true to its Islamic values and pursuits. Clearly, it must have been concerned where the need to comply with Pakatan politics was taking its religious struggle to.
Clearly, the extent of Pas politics, what its leaders are willing to do, and the abuses rained on it by its foes and partners, as it tries to remain relevant to the Pakatan playbook, is eating away at Pas.
Understandably, and unsurprisingly, many Pas leaders sang a different tune the morning after the council's dictate -- regardless of the semantics and verbal gymnastic employed to suggest that they have not actually flip-flopped, yet again, on the issue.
Incidentally, whether it is tactical or coincidental, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's decision to take the Federal Government to almost full term has proven and laid bare the obvious fundamental flaw within Pakatan Rakyat; that it is merely a collection of political parties, each with its own and opposing ideologies, principles and dreams. Their only common denominator is their desire for Putrajaya.
For Pas, in more ways than one, the elections could not have come any sooner. While Pakatan's plastic coalition is being exposed by the ravages of politics, it is Pas, and not DAP or PKR, that is self-inflicting credibility cuts and taking the brunt of the political negativities. Of course, the faithful can't see this. There are some philosophical questions that Pas needs to ask itself; can it be in Pakatan and stay true to its ideals? Can the party ulama regain their dominance and be the conscience of the party's Islamic struggle? How much further can it compromise before it makes a mockery of its Islamic agenda? It is not a question of how much abuse it can take to be in Pakatan, but is it worth the pain?
Zainul Arifin Md Isa can be contacted at zainul@mediaprima.com.my
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