DURING the last general election, I saw something which I never thought I would — a Chinese lady wearing a skirt, albeit below the knees, on the campaign trail in urban middle-class Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, waving the Pas flag.
With her was a Malay lady in hijab, just as what one would expect a Pas supporter to be dressed in, enthusiastically doing the same with the DAP flag.
There was also the non-Muslim Pas supporters’ club, which fielded three members as candidates in two state seats and one parliamentary seat during the 13th General Election.
The fact that they were all defeated was not really the point; this was, admittedly, a ground-breaking development in Malaysian politics.
In a nutshell, we had two ideologically opposite groups — one with a declared theological mission, while the other, proudly secular. Yet, it was a political union that ticked all the right boxes to the thesis that indeed all things were possible in politics.
Nevertheless, this love affair ended. Like most failed affairs, separation can be acrimonious, especially when a third party is involved. This time, the federal opposition grouping has its eyes on Parti Amanah Negara or PAN, which, incidentally, is a breakaway from Pas.
With the union over, the free-for-all in the denouncement of Pas and its leaders soon began.
Looking at Pas and its relationship with other political parties in the past decade or so, is like a study in political science — there are no permanent enemies, or permanent friends, apparently.
The proposal and its recent reading of the private bill by Pas president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to expand the punitive powers of the Syariah Court, or more commonly referred to as RU355, has angered many, including the party’s friends in the opposition grouping.
The proposal, it is argued by many, will be the first steps in moving from secularism, and for non-Muslims, it will be the beginning of Islamic rule that will affect them despite assurances to the contrary.
I believe RU335, and the subsequent protests against it and against Pas for tabling it, is a convenience, so to speak, that gives the opposition group the legitimacy to disown its political bedfellows of a few years ago.
Furthermore, it now has PAN, with its more amiable members.
Pas has never hid its desire to install an Islamic-based government, even when it was moving and mixing around with the likes of DAP and PKR in the last two general elections. It is its raison d’etre.
Even when the respective party leaders were holding hands on stage, that aspiration never waned. Perhaps, it was subdued for political exigency, but never for once was it chucked from the party’s mission.
Everyone knew that, including the leaderships of DAP and PKR.
Yet, when asked, the issue was often glossed over, suggesting that there was a bigger fish to fry rather than worry about what form of government they would bring if they won. Amazingly, they got away with that.
These political leaders were fudging with the specifics and you could not even make out, as if with marbles in their mouths, what each of them were saying — did DAP support Pas’ Islamic government aspiration, or had Pas given it up now that they were partners in the opposition grouping?
They were battling Barisan Nasional from two ends of the ideological pole, but true to the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” maxim, a united front was formed with no real clear agenda but to unseat the incumbent.
They came close, but failed.
At times, a political union is the only way to achieve the desired result, but a marriage of convenience that premised on defeating a shared opponent, rather than sharing a common ideology, is always likely to limp out.
Many in Pas felt that the party had given in a lot, including putting its Islamic government ambition on hold, but it did not get the reward nor the recognition for that.
In marginal seats, it was said that Pas supporters had pushed some DAP and PKR candidates across the line.
On its part, perhaps Pas now felt that with PAN being the flavour of the day, there was no need to keep its plan under wraps anymore.
Thus, it is rather strange, to me, at least, for members of the federal opposition to suddenly now be outraged at Pas for insisting on its long-held agenda.
I am not sure how much impact this attack on Pas has among its supporters, whom I believe as believers, would have insisted on Hadi’s private bill.
Turning Pas into an object of contempt and odium because of RU335 may even make its supporters more resolute in their mission.
It may also swing the “on the fence” Muslims, who would likely feel that such attacks on someone working for the ways of Islam was clearly uncalled for.
Yet, for Pas, the separation from the opposition group has ironically set it free from the need to be politically correct, and allowed it to reclaim its religious ideals.
The writer, a former NSTP group managing editor, is now a social media observer