The End Story of the Putrajaya Journey

Once upon the time, there have been some ambitious opposition politicians leaders started their journey and their final destination is Putrajaya which is 100,000 km away.

They are setting off on a long journey riding donkey presumably with a good plan although they knew it would be long and hard.

They cannot ride all at once for the donkey is not strong enough to carry both all of them.

The opposition leader alone climbed onto the donkey with the follower leading the way. Although the follower disagreed but they still continued their journey.

In order to overcome the exhaustion of the journey, they decided to go slightly faster.

While on their way, the political rival suddenly appears riding together onto the donkey.


The followers strongly disagreed with protest.

He decided to end the inappropriate political story by leaving the journey and return home.

PAS betray DAP

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng pointed out that as a coalition partner, PAS should not keep its allies, DAP and PKR in the dark over its ambitious plan to form a unity government in collaboration Malay–Muslim political power with UMNO.


The question arises: Is it the marriage of convenience between PAS and DAP broken?

Lim Guan Eng asking urgent respond and to request clarification from PAS on the issue to eliminate the misunderstanding has not come as a complete surprise but merely reflected the deepening crisis of the opposition coalition.

PAS are demanding to engage in talks for national unity, they are implicitly aiming the unity of the Malay community, gaining a position of power and become the national leader with the majority of Malays behind them, be in a position to introduce some form of Islamic governance.

Politically, PAS has sent mixed signals to its component partners in Pakatan and muddied the political situation. It seems that it might be the beginning of the end of Pakatan. PAS needs to get its house in order to avoid the undermine efforts internally and the opposition as a whole.

Should PAS moves towards UMNO, it will alienate their supporters and discredit as well as betrayal of the non Malay supporters who voted for the opposition especially PAS.

PAS leadership seems lack the accountability to its members and supporters and ultimately end up getting lost forever.

Nik Aziz turns down his own decision by giving his blessing to Nizar

Pas spiritual leader Nik Aziz originally questioned the decision of fielding Nizar as the candidate in the Bukit Gantang by-election suddenly made a u-turn and change the decision to turn down his own decision by giving his blessing.


Nik Aziz

This is something that irks his supporters, who has all the while felt that he has a major influence on the party decision-making process.

Undeniably, the blessing had shown how inconsistency of the PAS spiritual leader is.

The political scenario seeming that he is totally removed from the party decision making process. This is merely a feed to give him the information after the decision has been made. The party had rejected the spiritual leader’s preferred candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election in January, caused tension among the party members.

Many of his supporters were unhappy over the Kuala Terengganu incident despite the Pas leadership having evidently made the right decision in not fielding Vice-president Mohamad Sabu as recommended by Nik Aziz.

It is reported that Pas spiritual adviser Nik Aziz has given his blessing for former Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to contest in the April 7 Bukit Gantang by-election. He said Nizar who is the party's deputy commissioner for the state was the right candidate to face Barisan Nasional in the constituency.

Nik Aziz who is Kelantan Menteri Besar said last month that he could not agree to the suggestion that Nizar be fielded in the Bukit Gantang by-election since the Pas and its opposition allies still regarded Nizar as Perak Menteri Besar.

"I have contacted Nizar and bless his nomination to contest," he told reporters after receiving a visit from Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Ashok K. Kantha at his office.

Making love is the cause of pregnancy

Marriage of convenience without making love is the cause of no pregnancy. How long can the marriage last? The consequences of marriage of convenience are thus divorce.

The DAP-led Pakatan government in Penang has come under fire from Penang PAS for not including the Islamic party in the state's decision-making process.

Penang delegate Mohd Fahmi Abdul Wahab said after four months in power, the state government has yet to include them in any discussions.

Speaking at the second day of 54th PAS muktamar in Ipoh, the Penang delegate Penang delegate Mohd Fahmi Abdul Wahab used marriage as an analogy to describe the state government’s relationship with PAS.

"We feel very lost because after four months, we feel like we have been sleeping outside the house. But if they want to show us their sympathy, asking us to sleep on the couch will do.

"When we are married, our siblings often ask us, 'how come after four months of marriage, you are still not pregnant? "How can we, when we are not even allowed to touch each other's hands?" asked Mohd Fahmi.

"To be honest, Penang (state government) has never called us to sit together and to officially discuss where Pakatan in this state is heading," Mohd Fahmi said, adding that before Pakatan even existed, PAS had 16 seats to contest in Penang

"But after our party leaders agreed on less seats based on our mutual understanding, during the previous general election, our seats were reduced to only five.

"Even though (we had sacrificed our seats), we are still searching for the real meaning of 'Pakatan'," lamented Mohd Fahmi.

However, the delegate said Penang PAS would support Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim during the Permatang Pauh by-election which will take place on Sept 26.

Muzakarah leave PAS grassroots, PKR and DAP unsettled, says Nik Aziz

It might not be an overstatement to say that politically PAS was founded with clear cut and coherent Islamic ideology or philosophy beyond the selfish desire to capture political power.

Although politics thrives better on conflicts which are the bastions of ideologies, but we can also argue for the fact that PAS was founded on deep rooted Islam ideology and purely an Islamic party while UMNO was based on nationalism.

The political ideology of PAS and UMNO are conflicting as they are different from one another. These differences are natural as conflict is the nature in human and particularly political relations.

Muzakarah (dialogue) between the PAS and UMNO, hence is a good strategy of UMNO to create crisis within PAS and effects are akin to seismic shifts in the nation’s political landscape to leave PAS grassroots, PKR and DAP unsettled.

The interesting question arises: Can the effects of Muzakarah (dialogue) between PAS and UMNO akin to seismic shifts in the current political landscape and finally cause PAS irrelevant politically?

PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat wants the muzakarah (dialogue) between the party and UMNO to stop.

He said the party grassroots were unsettled with the dialogue.

He added that nothing was expected to materialize from such talks because both parties had different ideologies, namely one was an Islamist party while the other was based on nationalism.

Nik Aziz pointed out that the talks that UMNO president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had with three PAS decision-makers on the issue of Malays and Islam were of a personal nature rather than formal party-to-party discussions.

“It is really nothing. It is the media that played it up. I leave it to the party to decide the next course but we must admit that such things leave our grassroots, PKR and DAP unsettled,” he told a press conference.

Nik Aziz said this would be the last time he would comment on the dialogue. Asked when would be a good time for such a dialogue, he said probably after the general election in 2013 or much later.

He refused to say if PAS was now split in view of the differing versions from various leaders.

Nik Aziz warned that PAS should be careful not to be trapped by UMNO, which was now weak and needed to create some form of diversion from the party’s internal issues.

“My wish is that soon UMNO would become the Opposition in the country. Those who want to can join PAS,” he said.

Is PAS jumping ship?

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Sunday that he had met with "very high level" PAS leaders three times and their talks had advanced to another stage.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, however, is known to be in favour of the talks although he has said Pas would continue to be in the opposition under the Pakatan Rakyat banner.

In an immediate response, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang confirmed that the meetings took place and said that the discussions had centred on Islam and Malay issues.

Nik Aziz opposes Umno-Pas cooperation on Malay unity and religious issues, calling the efforts a "trap" set by Umno.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also DAP secretary-general, said it was normal and within Abdullah's rights to meet anyone.

"If Pakatan Rakyat can be disturbed because of one meeting, then it is completely not a pakatan coalition.”

Ironically, we all have heard time and again that DAP will never work with PAS due to the different ideologies of PAS and DAP. But DAP is part of the coalition governments in 4 states although the coalition is loose.

Hence, the interesting political scenario arises, is DAP going to comply with the situation and review the cooperation model with PAS?

Are the talks between PAS and Umno mainly about Islam and its influence on politics and Malay unity are the indication of PAS jumping ship?

DAP - DONKEY ACTION PARTY

Do you realize that the new name for DAP is Donkey Action Party?

DAP has once again shown its true face after the 12 General Election 2008. It has revealed its real nature as a Donkey Action Party which doing all sorts of donkey jobs for the benefits of the PAS.

The true face of DAP has finally been revealed and its "ideological" mask has been lifted too by cooperating with PAS to form the Perak state government. DAP even go to the extent of allowing a PAS leader to be the new Menteri Besar.

PAS only hold six state seats as compared with 18 by the DAP and seven by PKR in Perak, but the MB post was given to Perak PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who won the Pasir Panjang state seat.

DAP has declared before that it will never cooperate with PAS due to Islamic state issue. It has been denying that it is working with PAS when they sought the support of the Chinese community in Perak during the campaigning period, but after getting their votes, the DAP is doing otherwise.

DAP should have told the non-Muslim especially Chinese community right from the beginning that they were cooperating with PAS so that the voters would be able to make a wise decision at the ballot box. It is politically unethical as the people gave DAP their trust and in return by working with an Islamist party.

History speaks for itself. Now you can see Pemuda PAS wanted the 5 Pakatan Rakyat state governments to implement the Islamic Laws including Hudud and Siasah Syariah. Article 8 provides that every citizen is equal before the law, so the discriminatory nature of the Hudud is against non-Muslims and women.

It has revealed its real nature as a servant of power. It has also shown that it is fundamentally incapable of forming new government. This behavior has finally revealed the true face of the DAP, showing their thirst for power.

The people of Perak especially Chinese had been led away by sweet words and got cheated by DAP. Do they still remember they were promised that DAP will fight for their basic rights? Won’t the Chinese awaken now?

DAP's co-operation with PAS is a marriage of convenience

For the country like Malaysia that supposedly prides itself for its multiracial make-up, one can be forgiven for feeling obliged that the major parties existed are race-based parties.

In the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, only the Malays can be members of UMNO, the Chinese in the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), and the Indians in the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). Although all races can be members of Gerakan, but it still perceived as Chinese dominant party. On the other hand, there are no membership restrictions based on one’s race to joining PKR and DAP.

Ironically, DAP is founded on secular social democratic principles and the ideology of DAP is Malaysian Malaysia but it can not move pass being a party for Chinese, still perceived to racially fanatic Chinese-based party which fights for a secular state. Whereas PAS is founded on religious conservatism and with its Islamic ideology wanting to form an Islamic state is the ultimate aim. PAS and DAP are of two extreme end of the right wing racial spectrum.

Although DAP, PAS and KeADILan formed the coalition Pakatan Rakyat, but they are still swimming about in the pool of contradicting ideologies. They will never reconcile on the political ideological grounds, bar the fact that they both want to be in power.

In last general election, paradoxically, it is because of the Anwar phenomenon that caused the forming of Islamic state was not mentioned in the PAS manifesto, neither to turn Perak into an Islamic state later. The struggles of two parties are on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum with PKR in between, thus can be seen as marriage of convenience.

A lot of criticism has been directed toward those three parties, and some of them are said to be justified especially the issue of DAP's co-operation with PAS. Those who look at things through racially tinted lenses, and spit out provocative rhetoric based on stereotype and prejudice should be criticized. But the political scenario implication of believing that DAP had compromised the principle and stand for a secular state, Lim Kit Siang has become an agent of Nik Aziz and a spokesman of PAS for the establishment of an Islamic State are deep-rooted in non-Malay society. DAP being perceived as no longer subscribed to its ideology.

Ironically, playing racial politics is a no-brainer for DAP, and it negates the need for the party to find its niche in denying the irrelevancy frequently portrayed.

The serious questions arise, why do DAP and PAS exist? Do they exist to only look after the welfare of a particular race? Will the difference in ideologies enhance the co-operation between DAP and PAS? Will race-based parties are undesirable? Are Malaysians comfortable voting race-based parties into power or otherwise? Will the forming of Pakatan Rakyat perceived that DAP is no longer relevant?

While I am only aware, in the eyes of the Chinese, they rather get their nipples frozen off than get a religious fanatic from PAS for being a MB in Perak and with minor variation, the same principle apply in many areas beyond writing and speaking.