The Malaysian Insight

A TIE-UP with its historic rival Umno is expected to take centre stage at PAS’ muktamar (assembly), it’s second after GE14, which will see a new opposition front against Pakatan Harapan, said sources.

PAS leaders believe that an agreement between the two parties will be announced after the muktamar, spelling out the terms of the cooperation.  

PAS was formed out of Umno’s ulama wing in 1951. The Islamist party briefly worked with Umno in 1974 when the latter formed the Barisan Nasional alliance. But after falling out with BN in 1978, PAS became Umno’s main rival for the Malay vote.  

PAS, Umno, and their civil society allies, have been loosely working together again over the past year in the last seven by-elections.

PAS leaders, however, have said the cooperation was on a case-by-case basis.

So far, there is no unified pact of opposition parties in the way PH and its predecessor, Pakatan Rakyat, were to BN when the latter was in power.

PAS’ muktamar in Kuantan, which begins this week, will be the first step towards the creation of a coalition centred on the theme of Muslim unity.

Cooperation between the two parties increased during the Cameron Highlands, Semenyih and Rantau by-elections, which saw PAS members voting for the Umno BN candidates.

Party strategists also believe that tie-up between the two will see them winning Putrajaya in the 15th general election as both parties have the biggest network among Malays who make up more than 60% of the voters.  

Healing old wounds

But first, the Islamist party’s leaders must convince their still sceptical members of the need to put aside their 60-year enmity with Umno to defeat what their bosses consider a bigger enemy – PH.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that despite the PAS-Umno rapport built since May 9 last year, many ordinary PAS members, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu, are still wary of their traditional rivals.

This is due to the acrimonious history between the parties in these two states. Kelantan PAS members still blame Umno for undermining and bringing down the PAS-ruled state government in 1977.

In the early 1980s, current PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang released a controversial decree that labelled Umno members as infidels.

This split Muslims in many Terengganu villages along sectarian lines where PAS members would not join in rituals and festivities if they were conducted by Umno members.  

A The Malaysian Insight survey in Terengganu recently found that those rifts have not fully healed and many PAS and Umno members still viewed the other with suspicion.

“The current PAS leadership will use the muktamar to push this idea of ‘Muslim unity’ for its grassroots leaders, in the hope they can convince all their supporters to buy the idea,” said a source with knowledge of the party leadership’s strategy.

“But to PAS members in Kelantan and Terengganu, they still feel suspicious about working with Umno.”

Another source expressed a common sentiment of those sceptical about working with Umno.

“Why should PAS work with Umno? Umno only wants to work together once it lost power. Before it lost power, it fought us tooth and nail to take over Kelantan. They did everything to suppress us in Terengganu.

“So now when they lost they want to work with us? What if they start demanding posts in the Kelantan and Terengganu governments?” said the party official who requested anonymity.

“Are they also going to give us positions in the Pahang government?” he said referring to the Kelantan and Terengganu governments ruled by PAS and Pahang governed by Umno.  

A PAS official told TMI that these concerns are expected to be addressed head-on by the president himself.

“Umno-PAS cooperation will be addressed by the president himself and it will probably be part of the debates among the delegates,” said Pahang PAS commissioner Rosli Abu Jabar.

“What is certain is that PAS will set terms that will benefit all Muslims,” said Rosli, who is Tanjung Lumpur assemblyman.

PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad said the agreement is still at draft stage but that input from the party’s delegates will be taken into account before it is finalised.

“During the course of the assembly, we will receive additional input from the delegates. We will include that which we feel is appropriate and then announce at the end of the muktamar,” said Idris.

“But what is certain is, we will forge ahead (to cooperate with Umno) even though there are people in Pakatan Harapan who want to see this fail.” – June 17, 2019.