The Malaysian Insight

THE new Islamic alliance between PAS and Umno will not affect Pakatan Harapan’s support among Malays or its chances of re-election, as long as the coalition performs, said Amanah.

The leaders of PH’s multiracial and progressive Islamist arm, seen by many as PAS’ ideological opposite in the ruling coalition, appeared unfazed by the novel tie-up, despite its wide grassroots network among Malays, who form more than 60% of the electorate.

Umno and PAS are the country’s largest parties by membership.

The new opposition pact is also betting that its nationalistic Malay-Muslim ideology and claims that the Malay community is being sidelined by the PH government will strike a chord with voters.

Amanah leaders, however, see its brand of Islam and politics, and its success in navigating a pluralist, modern country, will change Malay minds brainwashed by decades of racial and religious rhetoric.

“In two to three years, as we govern with PH, I am confident that Malays will accept our message of moderation, of mutual respect,” said Amanah communications director Khalid Samad.

“That is the real message brought by political Islam.”

However, some say pulling traditional Malays to the progressive side will be nothing short of an uphill challenge for Amanah.

“(The Pas-Umno pact) will affect support for PH, especially in rural areas, because of the lack of information about what’s going on in the world,” said academic Dr Megat Al Imran Yasin of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Umno and PAS have also traditionally maintained a large presence in rural communities through their dominance in influential local bodies, such as village and surau management committees.

Numbers don’t add up

The foundation of the Umno-PAS alliance was announced at the Islamist party’s annual congress in Kuantan, Pahang, last week, where its grassroots leaders officially green-lit the party’s tie-up with Umno, its traditional nemesis.

PAS’ conservative Islamist ideology will form the core of the alliance’s set of beliefs, making Malay-Muslim supremacy the overriding principle in forming government policies.

According to its interpretation of Islam, PAS will have Islam play an even more significant role in public life than it already does, including in areas such as the economy, where its presence has been limited.

PAS and Umno strategists believe that the pact will pool Malay votes that had been split by multiple candidates in the 14th general election to give it an edge over PH, which is seen as weak in terms of Malay support.

The Umno-PAS pact is looking to recover about 30 parliamentary seats, such as Pokok Sena, Parit Buntar and Lumut, lost to PH in GE14 due to PAS and Umno candidates contesting against each other.

Kedah Amanah election director Adnan Saad, however, said he was not surprised that PAS would now take the lead, seeing as to how Umno’s brand was thoroughly rejected in GE14.

“PAS wants to use Umno’s wide Malay network and Umno wants to use PAS to whitewash its tattered image,” said Adnan.

Neither does Adnan believe that the political number-crunching Umno and PAS are betting on – of pooling their votes to corral a huge chunk of the Malay vote – will result in automatic wins.

“In politics, two plus two does not necessarily equal four. On paper, they look like they can win now, but there are variables and dynamics that can change in each election,” he said.

He cited Umno’s hubris in believing that because of its victories in the Sg Besar and Kuala Kangar by-elections of 2016, that multi-candidate fights would serve only to benefit the party.

However, in GE14, such multi-candidate contests split the Malay vote, and it was PH parties like Amanah and Bersatu that benefited.

Past v future

Another speedbumb on Umno and PAS’ road to bliss is one that has been decades-long in the making – their historic enmity.

“Many PAS members still cannot accept Umno,” said Nizar Jamaluddin, once a PAS member who, like several of his compatriots, made the move to Amanah.

“When the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission revealed five to six Umno members received dirty money from former Umno president Najib Razak, it proved PAS had teamed up with thieves and robbers,” said Nizar.

Other Amanah leaders believe that in the next few years, more and more Malays will wake up and see PH for the better government that it is, leaving Umno and PAS’ obsolete racial-religious rhetoric in the dust.

“If (Umno and PAS) want to continue the narrow politics of race, let them, but that is not Malaysia,” said Amanah election director Dr Hatta Ramil.

“Do you think the people of Sabah and Sarawak will accept them? No way.

“This is the political risk they are taking but we will continue with our inclusive politics, where we work together with all groups.

“This is the Malaysia we are trying to build,” said Hatta.

Meanwhile, Adnan said he believed that Malays, even those in rural areas, would come around to see PH’s good governance and inclusivity as the way of the future.

“We hope that Malays can see this: that PAS and Umno’s politics are of the past and that we are bringing a new kind of politics, a politics suited for the future.” – June 29, 2019.