IN Malaysian politics, a three-cornered electoral contest has always been the Achille’s heel of the opposition.  But this is not the case with the three-cornered fights that PAS threatens to create in the 14th general election.

The simple reason is that PAS is not a genuine opposition party.

In fact, this party at this moment is exhibiting all the symptoms of schizophrenia – concurrently anti-Umno and pro-Umno, depending on which leader is speaking and when he is speaking.

But soon, PAS will have to shed its anti-Umno cloak when parliament is dissolved and nomination and polling days are announced. The surfacing of the anticipated strategy to avoid clashes between PAS and Umno in their respective strongholds, particularly in Kelantan, will reveal their true intent.  Such evidence of PAS-Umno collusion will further be reinforced by PAS fielding candidates in an unnecessarily large number of seats where it doesn’t stand the remotest chance of winning. These PAS candidates are now described as Umno’s “suicide bombers” –  sacrificial lambs at the altar of Umno’s political hegemony.

Moment of truth

This will be the moment of truth that will do PAS and Umno in.

For, the eventual exposure of a political conspiracy designed as a lifeline to save Umno from political defeat will cause a large number of defections from PAS.  This is because grassroots members and supporters of PAS have long fought to remove its arch-enemy, the corrupt and racist Umno, as it is a stumbling block to PAS’ long-cherished dream to fully realise Islamic law in the country.

That PAS is fearful of this eventuality is evident from its panic-stricken reaction when the Straits Times of Singapore revealed that PAS president Hadi Awang had been in almost daily conversation with Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Razak (even during Hadi’s recovery from his recent heart surgery) to plot to take Selangor from opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan in the next election.

A chorus of PAS leaders, including deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, then vehemently denied the allegations, while, tellingly, the man at the centre of the issue, Hadi, has remained deafeningly silent.

A toothless tiger

And Umno, which has counted on PAS to save its skin, will find its new cohort a tiger without teeth.

Under such circumstances, the much hyped three-cornered fights will not only cease to be an unmitigated disaster for the opposition, but could become a deadly affliction to  Umno and BN.  The reversal of roles from an opposition party to the ruling camp will cause PAS to split votes that will otherwise flock to Umno. In other words, Umno could be at the losing end of a PH-PAS-Umno contest.

But there is one proviso to this scenario:  PH must be able to convince sufficient numbers of PAS supporters that the party had betrayed its original cause.

As typical of all political parties, PAS will have its hardcore voters, and non-hardcore voters. It is the latter, which should exceed the former, that will decide which direction the PAS two-edged sword will cut.

Hence, it is vital that PAS members and supporters be fully informed of the true role the party is playing in the muddled political battle field. In this respect, the effectiveness of information dissemination become crucial.

Unfortunately for the opposition, it suffers the handicap of zero access to TV channels and newspapers to propagate its view, and these media are precisely the main source of news for conservative supporters of PAS.

Thus, PH has no alternative but to go from town to town and village to village to reach these voters. Such effort is time and manpower consuming and slow.

Move decisively

For that reason, Harapan must start its campaign now, to allow the true picture to sink in and change mindsets where it counts, as the election could be just around the corner.

PKR must close ranks on the divisive issue of cooperating with PAS, and join PH to win over PAS supporters, in addition to exposing Umno’s heinous corruption, and making the case that its brand of good governance will alleviate the people’s hardship.

PKR should feel assured that its much-feared three-cornered fights will be neutered in most cases as the loss of PAS’ hardcore voters will be more than compensated by the anticipated bumper cross-over of Umno’s traditional Malay voters, who are disillusioned with the party’s atrocious betrayal of public trust.

With a united opposition front facing both Umno/BN and PAS, God willing, the much longed for change will come to the country. – September 6, 2017.

* Kim Quek is the author of the banned book “The March to Putrajaya” ( http://www.themarchtoputrajaya.com/) and best seller “Where to, Malaysia?”

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.