Syed Jaymal Zahiid
KUALA LUMPUR
The outcome of the PAS election is a clear message from the grassroot that the members have rejected unity talks with Umno, says political scientist, Aziz Bari.
ANALYSIS
Mohamad, who represents the more progressive side of the Islamist party, won the deputy president’s post with 420 votes.
He edged out incumbent Nasharuddin Mat Isa by a strong 196 majority while third candidate, Tuan Man Tuan Ibrahim, was only 21 votes away from Mohamad.
UCSI lecturer in public policies Ong Kian Ming believes that Mohamad’s victory will dispel fears from its Pakatan allies of any possible PAS cooperation with rivals Umno especially among the staunch secularist DAP.
The two parties stand vastly apart on key ideological issues. It has also been noted that there have been no genuine effort to reconcile DAP’s secularism and PAS’ Islamic State.
The dominance of the conservative ulama class in the party’s top leadership in the past has also contributed to growing concerns that PAS would be seeking to cooperate with Umno to further its Islamic agenda.
PAS came under heavy fire when the news of a secret meeting dubbed the “unity talk” between them and Umno in mid 2008 was leaked to the media.
The meeting was said to be held under the endorsement of the ulama class.
Ong said, all this will now change under Mohamad.
“PAS is moving forward. Mohamad Sabu would definitely emphasise more on working with its (PAS) friends in Pakatan especially with the DAP.
“His election would clear away fears among the DAP leaders,” he told FMT.
Age Of The ‘Progressives’
He added that the outcome of the polls on the whole was a clear indication that the party’s grassroots rejected the unity talks with Umno and aspired for a new direction.
The majority of those voted in were progressives (also known as the professionals or Erdogans after popular Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is known for his moderate Islamic politics) into top positions.
Apart from Mohamad, three of their vice-presidents are known progressives like Salahuddin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar.
Both of them are incumbents who were re-elected while the third, Husam Musa, who was once said to lead the Erdogan faction, wrested the seat again after he lost in the deputy presidency race in the last party polls.
Meanwhile most of those elected into the party’s central working committee are also re-elected incumbents from the professional class like Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Dr Hatta Ramli.
Professor Aziz Bari, political scientist from the International Islamic University, said the polls’ outcome clearly reflected the demands by PAS grassroots for PAS to have stronger ties with Pakatan as the party prepares for the possibility of an early national elections.
While conservative president Abdul Hadi Awang has given repeated assurance that PAS is committed to its allies, Aziz believes the delegates are not too convinced given the constant re-emergence of Umno’s unity-talk overtures.
The unity talks was said to be directly endorsed by Hadi himself although he denied the allegation.
The pick of progressives leaders also extended its influence to the women’s wing.
“What the members voted for is the complete rejection of this (unity talks),” he told FMT.
The youth wing however saw many of its top posts wrested by the conservatives.
Hadi Outnumbered
The party’s election outcome has also diminished any concerns of possible friction in the pairing of the ulamas and progressives for the top two positions.
Firstly, Hadi is outnumbered in any top decision making process.
Secondly, the PAS president is very well aware of the political risk at hand if he deviates from the demands of the party grassroots.
His reiteration of PAS’ loyalty to the Pakatan agenda in his inauguration speech yesterday was proof of this.
“This (party polls) is the nail to the coffin. Hadi has to tow the line,” said Aziz when asked to comment on the kind of working relation Hadi would have with his new deputy, Mohamad.
But does this mean the corrosion of ulama influence in PAS? No.
The number of votes garnered by Mohamad’s rivals in the race for the deputy presidency, Hadi’s uncontested position, and domination by conservatives in the youth wing is testament to this.
It is important to note that the sentiments among the party voters this year is PAS’ preparation for the 13th general elections.
Nevertheless, the election outcome this year sees a monumental change in PAS as party members become more assertive, signalling its readiness to change and adapt to the constantly changing political landscape.
- FMT
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