13 June, 2008
Secret meetings and overtures are purportedly taking place between Pas and Umno for the common ground of Malay unity. But some old wounds are still festering, writes ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR.
New Straits Times
JUST 100 days ago, the most respected ulama in Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas) said the Islamist party would not rejoin Barisan Nasional.The assurance by Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the party's 77-year-old spiritual adviser, was made during a press conference at Pas' headquarters in Kota Baru on March 8, soon after it was confirmed that Pas had been returned to power in the state it had held for 18 years.
Nik Aziz, who is Kelantan menteri besar, said Umno had "played out" Pas during the party's BN era, and Pas would not fall into the same trap again. To Nik Aziz and many other Pas leaders, it is a simple case of once bitten, twice shy. Pas learned a bitter lesson when it collaborated with Barisan Nasional and Umno from 1970 to 1978.
It was painful for Pas to see its members split into groups after it left BN; while the faithful stayed on to rebuild the party, some joined Umno and splinter parties like Berjasa and Hamim. A small fraction chose to become inactive in Pas.
The problems began when the then prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein picked Datuk Mohamed Nasir over another Pas candidate to be Kelantan menteri besar after the 1974 general election. This led to a vote of no-confidence in the state assembly against Nasir, triggering protests in his defence and leading to the imposition of emergency rule in Kelantan.
Pas' recalcitrance led to its expulsion from BN, ending its brief collaboration with Umno. The party lost the state election in 1978 and was only able to wrest it back 12 years later. It has remained in power since.
But there is now fresh talk that Pas might seek to renew old ties with Umno and rejoin BN. Is this possible?
Collaboration, perhaps; rejoining BN, no, say leaders of Pas' central committee. Party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and several senior leaders had given this assurance to its Pakatan Rakyat allies during their regular meetings.
Pas' political bureau, which Hadi heads, decided there will be no official meeting with Umno. Those supporting the idea were also criticised when the issue was hotly debated at the past three central committee meetings.
It is no secret that Pas and Umno leaders are in discussion, but this is said to be purely in the context of Malay unity and the much talked-about "Ketuanan Melayu".
But the latest rumour, purportedly that of an unofficial meeting allegedly taking place overseas between Pas deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his Umno counterpart, is raising eyebrows.
Nasharuddin, said to be among the senior Pas leaders keen on a collaboration, denied in an SMS about knowing anything about the meeting, saying he preferred to steer clear of rumours. He is currently attending a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association seminar in Brussels, while Najib was in London for the Commonwealth conference on reform of international financial institutions.
Pas information chief Mahfuz Omar has been directed to clear the matter, saying the central committee was concerned over such rumours as they could send the wrong message to party members and supporters, especially the party's Pakatan Rakyat allies.
"No official negotiations have taken place," he says. "Reports in weblogs and SMSes are a political 'psy-war' to split Pakatan."
But Parti Keadilan Rakyat strategic head Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has this to say: "We are aware of the goings-on between the two parties and are keeping tabs."
"Discussions" and "negotiations" convey two different meanings, observes Pas central committee member Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi.
"Pas is open to discussions with Umno and other political parties and NGOs," he says, reiterating a stand taken by the Majlis Syura Ulama or consultative council, Pas' highest decision-making body, at a meeting in late April.
The council, headed by Nik Aziz, discussed the issue of collaborating with Umno after intermediaries of Umno approached Pas leaders for possible "talks on the position of the Malays" following the 2008 general election.
But its political bureau, headed by Hadi, decided there should not be any formal meetings with Umno.
"Negotiating to come back into BN's fold is another matter altogether, and not on the agenda," says Syed Azman, Batu Burok assemblyman. "Our future is with Pakatan."
Events since the general election have caused leaders on both sides of the divide to show interest in issues raised by Malay non-governmental organisations over Malay unity and "Ketuanan Melayu", a term referring to Malay "sovereignty" and not "dominance" or "supremacy", as popularly defined.
Perceptions that non-Malays have grown more demanding since the general election have caused uneasiness among the Malays, especially grassroots members of Umno and Pas. Hence, the calls for the two parties to unite and protect the Malays and Islam.
Universiti Malaya Associate Professor Dr Mohamed Agus Yusoff says discussions between Pas and Umno should be encouraged so that they can be effective as political parties representing Malays.
"It is unlikely that Pas is going to rejoin BN at this point," Agus says, "but there should not be hindrance for the two to collaborate on common issues."
For instance, Pas and Umno shared a common stage in 2002 to address the issue of Palestine at a forum organised by the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement, where the leaders then -- the late Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad -- spoke of their aspirations for Malays and Muslims.
Pas, at present, is unlikely to be part of one big Umno. On the contrary, Pas leaders, including Nik Aziz and Hadi, have repeatedly invited Umno to join Pas. While Pas veterans seem open to some form of collaboration with Umno, younger leaders are hesitant. Vice-president Husam Musa has warned against falling into Umno's trap, contending that Umno would talk about Malay unity only when its political power was threatened.
An equally significant question now is how PKR and DAP would respond to Pas deciding to collaborate with Umno. Pas is seen as the power-broker in this current political scenario.
In politics, all things are possible.
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