The Malaysian Insight

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s confidence winning 40 parliamentary seats in the next elections is no pipe dream, said grassroots leaders from the Islamist party.

They said their leader’s confidence stems from several factors and chief among them is the ability of PAS leaders to pitch their case to Umno members through mosques and surau which were once off-limits to the Islamist party.

This was brought about by the warmer relations between leaders of PAS and Umno, the backbone party of Barisan Nasional.

It is through this strategy that PAS leaders and speakers are able to enter mosques and surau that were once the sole domain of the pro-BN religious leaders.

This scenario is already being played out in Terengganu as well as other states controlled by BN, including Pahang, where PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man leads the party’s state branch.

As an example of this strategy and growing warmth with Umno, PAS leaders were earlier barred from setting foot in a mosque in a kampung in Beladau Selat in the Marang district. The hostility previously reached a point that PAS supporters boycotted the mosque.

However, in the past several months, PAS Alor Limbat assemblyman Ariffin Deraman was allowed to deliver Friday sermons several times.

Aside from Terengganu, Pahang PAS leaders have also been able to enter mosques controlled by Umno.

“We in Pahang feel all sorts of things when we are able to give a kuliah (lecture) in a mosque that has all the while been controlled by Umno,” Tuan Ibrahim said at a party function recently.

Hadi said the party aims to win at least 40 parliamentary seats in the 14th general election.

He envisaged a kingmaker role for the Islamist party if BN and Pakatan Harapan do not secure an outright majority at GE14.

If the party wins 40 seats, it would be in a position to make demands, he said. There are 222 parliamentary seats.

Hadi appears to base his calculation on the remaining 182 seats being divided evenly between BN and PH, but it is unlikely that both parties would acquire the simple 112-seat majority to form a government.

“If PAS can get 40 parliamentary seats, other parties wouldn’t be able to form a government without depending on our 40 seats, and this means we will be needed to form the federal government,” he told the party organ Harakah Daily during a recent function.

In the last elections, the Islamist party won 21 parliamentary seats when it was part of the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat.

It has since left the pact and is now actively promoting its own pact, Gagasan Sejathera, and going it alone at GE14.

The pact is looking at fielding candidates in 132 seats.

However, a PAS veteran said Hadi’s projection was calculated when the Islamists were with PR.

“Yes, it’s true we place the figure of 40 seats as a target in GE14. But we came up with that figure from of our cooperation with PKR and Bersatu, for straight fights with BN,” a PAS veteran told The Malaysian Insight.

“The figure was never meant for three-cornered fights,” he said, adding that the target is not achievable should there be multi-cornered fights in GE14.

According to records, its biggest victories are when it cooperated with other major parties (see graphics).

Previous efforts by long-time party members to push for PAS cooperation with PKR and Bersatu was rejected by the ulama, including Hadi himself.

Kelantan PAS Youth chief Fadli Shaari said PAS may be optimistic of its chances.

“We see the people now have no confidence in Umno and in Barisan Nasional, with all the scandals and issues that have transpired, the shaky economy, workers who have lost their jobs… these are all indication that the people are not satisfied with Umno and BN’s rule,” he said.

For him, the alternative to BN is not PH, as the coalition has chosen Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its candidate for prime minister.

He said Dr Mahathir promised reforms if PH captured power, but in his 22 years, he reformed nothing.

Fadli is confident the people will not place their faith in PH because of the Dr Mahathir factor and that PAS would be the beneficiary.

Such a view is supported by Padang Terap PAS chief Azam Abd Aziz of Kedah.

“We have the support from youth, and from all strata of society, but it doesn’t seem so (on the surface), as people have said PAS does not receive any support. The fact is, the people still give their support to us.”

He added that the party’s ranks are swelling by the day.

“If we see the report from our headquarters, there has been more than 40,000 new members who have applied to join PAS from all over the country lately,” he said.

“For 2017, the monthly average is more than 4,000. This shows that the people still support PAS.”

However, a member of PAS grassroots leader expressed reservation about achieving the 40-seat target.

“For me, the statement by the president is a psychological (boost) for us to win as many parliamentary seats as possible.

“The president is trying to convince PAS members and the voters that the target is realistic and achievable,” the leader who requested anonymity said. – January 17, 2018.