BY swinging to the extreme right and burying the moderate image nurtured during Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s era, PAS has become a mirror of Umno, said political analysts.

The Islamist party’s decision to discard slogans such as “PAS for all” and its focus on race and religious issues mean that it will attract voters from the same pool as Umno. 

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia politics and public policy lecturer Dr Mazlan Ali said based on his research in 2015, PAS’ sense of Malay-Muslim nationalism has risen, especially after the death of Nik Aziz, its mursyidul am or spiritual leader, in 2015.

“The holistic (syumul) concept of Islam that PAS championed before this is no longer practised,” Mazlan told The Malaysian Insight.

“We are seeing a tendency of talking about Malay issues. It means PAS is more inclined towards the Malay-Muslim struggles, which Umno has long fought,” he said.

As such, it was difficult for voters still on the fence to differentiate between PAS and Barisan Nasional.

Universiti Malaya’s Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said PAS and Umno were now using religious issues to gain support.

“PAS is using religious issues as its lifeline in politics. Its political approach is almost the same as Umno’s,” he said.

PAS and Umno have long contested the Malay-Muslim vote, but under the leadership of Nik Aziz, who was called Tok Guru by his admirers,  there was a conscious move by PAS leaders to work with other opposition parties and adopt a broader agenda that included human rights and defending the constitutional rights of non-Muslims.

Nik Aziz often led the charge on corruption in the government and was a vocal critic of the 1MDB scandal.

The party’s decision to move closer to the centre was rewarded in the general elections of 2008 and 2013.

PAS cut ties with DAP in 2015 and with PKR in 2017 over its hardline position on implementing hudud in Kelantan.

Not helping matters was PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang getting friendly with Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Razak after Nik Aziz’s death.

He was seen with Najib at several events and seemed in sync with much of the policies promoted by Umno.

Hadi has said that PAS will contest the polls as part of a new coalition, Gagasan Sejahtera, and said BN and Pakatan Harapan are its foes in GE14. 

Gagasan Sejahtera was formed in 2016, and comprises PAS, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia, Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Cinta Malaysia and Parti Harapan Malaysia.

Still, pundits conclude that Hadi’s decision to force three-cornered contests in West Malaysia will benefit Umno and BN.

Stand out, or lose out

Universiti Utara Malaysia professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani painted a bleak picture for PAS.

He said if the party continues to play up racial and religious sentiments, it will be drowned out by the stronger and larger Umno, and be rejected by moderate voters.

“PAS has becoming more conservative, behaving like Umno when they talk about Islam, Malay agenda… something that Umno has been doing.

“So PAS needs to relook its identity unless they are planning to be like Umno.” – February 22, 2018.