THE mood in PAS is clear: party members want to go it alone and somehow believe that the Islamist party will surprise many in GE14, despite all evidence showing that a PAS single-handedly taking on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan will be trounced.

This mood was evident on the floor of the Dewan Ulama wing yesterday where there was a motion to sever ties with PKR, arguably its closest partner in GE12 and GE13. Party members said that they had suffered enough insults, double-dealing from PKR.

But in reality, calls for the divorce were prompted by a feeling that PAS has not been valued by its partner and has little to gain by working with a party that still doesn’t have the necessary machinery or structure to be considered a heavyweight.‎

Though the call to sever ties with PKR still has to be confirmed by PAS’ powerful Syura Council, the ramifications of a split are enormous for the opposition, especially in GE14.

The historical record and recent surveys show that a divided opposition always means that the ruling BN coalition will be re-elected into power.

A survey by PKR-linked think tank Invoke showed that in a multi-candidate contest between PAS, BN and Pakatan Harapan, the eventual winner would almost always be BN.

But Muzaihar Kamal, a Dewan Ulama delegate from Kuala Nerus believes that PAS is established enough among Malay voters to hold its own even in contests against Umno and Pakatan.

And given the antipathy voters have towards Umno over the rising cost of living and governance issues, there is no reason to discount the possibility of traditional Umno supporters voting for PAS, said another member.

He noted that this ‎happened in the 1990 and 1999 general elections when PAS benefited from the disillusionment felt by Malay Muslim voters toward Umno.

That even the PAS grassroots is willing to risk losing all the political ground it has gained sice the 2008 elections, when it worked with PKR, speaks volumes about how things have come to a head between the two former allies.

PAS has been PKR’s ally ever since the latter was formed in 1999 during the heady days of the Reformasi movement.

After it cut ties with the DAP, it still maintained relations with PKR as it is part of the PH-led Selangor government.

But the mood among party faithful is that PKR owes its electoral victories to the sweat, time and money of PAS activists.

Negeri Sembilan PAS delegate Mohd Husaini Hussain said: “There were seats which PKR contested where they did not even have enough members. They came to us with their flags and banners and pleaded for our help to hang them up,” said Mohd Husaini who tabled the motion for PAS to cut ties with PKR.

PAS information chief Nasruddin Hassan said the fact that the motion was passed unanimously showed that members, who used to work shoulder-to-shoulder with PKR, were confident enough to go it alone in GE14.

“They know the consequences of their decision and are ready to accept it,” Nasruddin said when asked about the real risk of PAS losing seats by going it alone and splitting the opposition vote.

“It’s actually nothing new for PAS. We have cooperated with others before and we have gone at it alone before,” he said, referring to the time when PAS joined and left the BN in the late 1970s and how it fought alone against Umno in the 1980s.

“Going it alone is not a burden for PAS.”

But it is going to be a burden for PH. All said and done, neither PKR nor Parti Pribumi Bersatu have the reach that PAS enjoys in the Malay heartland. – April 28, 2017.