THE antics of PAS leaders never fail to amuse, especially among those in the government. Leaders on federal and state levels one by one took turns to make abrupt statements or act with incomprehensible logic that made them the butt of jokes.

There are many examples of comedy. The party president who was cocksure that the Sarawak Report editor defamed him, sued, got wise only later, U-turned, and allegedly paid RM1.4 million for an out-of-court settlement.

Strange indeed, and a peculiar leadership by example. If your party has been accused of receiving a RM90 million bribe, honour demands that you have to sue till the cows come home.

The Kedah menteri besar’s unprovoked “drunk on the toddy of popularity” remark against his critics of an ethnic group has raised eyebrows. On the pedestal of power, generally two types of people come a-calling – the flatterer has potential to blind, and the critic has potential to help shine.

A careless slip of tongue in the racial slur has turned it into a barometer to gauge his vision and grey matter capacity.

The case of the vote of confidence for the Perak menteri besar should earn Malaysia an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. A sitting government should be deemed to have majority support among members of the assembly. Only a no-confidence vote suffices if that majority support is challenged.

Malaysia Boleh has allowed departure from that norm. A ruling coalition member had put forward the motion. The vote of confidence was defeated because the proposer and seconder of the motion along with the majority voted against it. A mind-boggling feat indeed, except that it was technically correct but procedurally wrong. But who cares?

All the three PAS assemblymen voted in support of the menteri besar. Up to the time the trio declined to meet the Perak sultan and the party’s secretary-general’s bold announcement that its members would not be part of the new government, many saw the chest-thumping antic as heroic.

Days later, and after its president’s apologetic appearance before Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, PAS members were back in the government. Impudence has given way to cringe. Clearly, a tamed Tarzan has lost his ability to howl.

On second thought, the Guinness Book of World Records may not be a good idea. Trouble brews if PAS members were to discover that the reference book was originally used as a promotional stunt for the Guinness alcoholic beverage in English pubs.

The latest comic is the deputy minister of  religious affairs for making a non-issue big, that is, the inconsequential marriage of a Malay lovebird to her Indian beau in Punjab.

Religion aside, the Indian hockey captain would make thousands of our young girls squeal in excitement and secretly wish themselves to be the bride, hence giving preoccupation for our religious men in hot pursuit along trails of elopement. How else could we give justification for the recent boosted budgetary allocation for the religious department concerned? 

Humanity expects words of wisdom to passionately shower the bride with everlasting happiness, and to seed bountifully in faraway land for species survivability. The cultured should know that it is better not to say anything if nothing good is to say of the person.

The deputy minister for religious affairs felt compelled to say something, but more to justify his existence. His loose tongue only torments the poor girl with potential agonising interrogation upon her return. It shatters her honeymoon bliss. To some, nothing is more fulfilling than heavenly bliss.

Why PAS leaders act and say the way they do is often not conceivable if going by societal norms and universal values. To them, a lie is acceptable if for celestial purpose. Trust and words of honour have little significance in earthly dealings.

The day PAS leaders articulate issues of national importance – impact of Fitch Ratings’ sovereign downgrade, on where will our revenue and funding sources be to meet the bloated 2021 budget, on how to stop the rot in our education system; or on any matter that does not need hard thinking, like on how to contain the coronavirus pandemic – is the day and for once, everyone in the country will pause to listen.

Until then, we pause to consider why King Lear said, “Nothing will come out of nothing”, which provoked many debates in what went through Lear’s mind.

The same can be said of the mindset of PAS leaders perceived by others with uncertainties. What can be conceived with certainty in both mindsets is that of a picture of tragedy. – December 24, 2020.

* Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng is a researcher with an interest in economics, politics, and health issues. He has a burning desire to do anything within his means to promote national harmony. Captain Wong is also a member of the National Patriots Association.