MANY analogies have been used to describe the purported alliance between Umno and PAS. At this point, it is getting quite confusing – the Facebook relationship status “It’s complicated” would certainly seem to apply.

Many of the analogies used thus far imply some sort of romantic relationship. Not surprising, I suppose, as we see many elements observable in typical courtships at play: one person having more of a crush than the other, being on-again/off-again, playing hard to get, capricious teasing, and so on.

This morning, we awoke to rather surprising news from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, generally seen as one of the biggest proponents of an Umno-PAS alliance.

Now, Hadi is not only rejecting the concept of a “marriage” with Umno, but justifying this rejection by using the analogy put forth by Bersatu strategist Rais Hussin: that such a marriage would be incestuous.

When Rais first used this analogy, it was greeted with much controversy. Now, the analogy has been accepted and used by no less than PAS’ most senior leader.

Why all this self-contradiction and flip-flopping?

‘Government-friendly opposition’ an oxymoron

Comments from PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah both demonstrate even more contradictions, and give a potential explanation and context for Hadi’s U-turn.

“Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said PAS will not form a unity government with Umno in the state.

“Instead, he believed that Umno will likely serve as “government-friendly” opposition lawmakers.

“Umno is still the opposition and we (PAS) are the government. Bersatu is part of the opposition, too. There is no coalition government (in Kelantan),” he said yesterday in Kota Baru, according to Bernama.

Amar said cooperation between PAS and Umno is limited to joint by-election campaigns and serving as the opposition in Parliament.

“Government-friendly opposition” is an oxymoron. Not unlike a “small giant” or “soft rocks”.

The concept simply makes no sense. One can be an independent friendly to the government, but if someone is in the opposition, that someone is, by definition, not friendly (politically speaking) to the government.

Fair-weather friends

Amar is also obviously trying to have his cake and eat it, too.

It appears that Hadi and Amar are fine with an alliance with Umno – as long as it does not involve sharing actual real power or resources.

A unity government in Kelantan or Terengganu would involving giving away important resources, like state exco positions from PAS to Umno.

It appears that when push comes to shove, and something of actual value is at stake, PAS is not interested in that genuine of an “alliance”, only one that costs it nothing, but gains it everything.

If we really want to keep flogging the dead horse relationship analogy, this is akin to one half of a relationship staying together only as long as the other half is paying for everything – a fair-weather friend, in other words.

If I were Umno, I would be squinting my eyes, wondering exactly what kind of relationship I’d be getting into here.

As an aside, we note that this was not even Amar’s first foray into bewilderingly illogical reasoning this week.

A few days earlier, he said the coup against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which PAS had alleged was going to take place, had been foiled, thanks to PAS’ timely intervention.

There has been zero independent verification that such a coup attempt was ever in the works.

Let’s say some random person predicted today that there would be a nuclear apocalypse tomorrow (think Umbrella Academy), then, when it doesn’t come to pass, the said person declares that he was the one who had saved the world by bravely preventing the apocalypse. By Amar’s logic, perhaps, we should give that person a Nobel Prize for his noble “efforts”.

Abusive relationship

We continue to find ourselves in a time of important, ongoing political realignment in Malaysia.

It appears that MCA has decided to continue throwing in its lot with Umno, clearly not having learnt from its mistakes.

Padang Rengas MP Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz summarised what they can hope to expect as long as they stay in that unholy partnership, when he said MCA only stayed on in Barisan Nasional because of Umno’s strength.

Nazri is clearly setting the tone for continuing the same type of abusive relationship that has existed between Umno and MCA these last few decades.

He also said: “I believe that Umno-PAS ties are getting stronger, as evident in (the) Cameron Highlands and Semenyih (by-elections). We (Umno) will ensure the ties will last until the 15th general election.”

With PAS’ latest rebukes towards Umno’s advances, perhaps, Nazri is getting a slight taste of his own medicine, being on the other end of an abusive, exploitative relationship.

Aspiring to positive realignment

All of us around the world now live in an era where hyperbole and polemics hog the limelight.

In Malaysia, we are seeing people being thrown out of Parliament (a somewhat BN-style move, one must say) over debates surrounding the term “Taliban”.

In New Zealand, we have seen how someone who bought so deeply into extreme narratives has caused such devastating, unthinkable brutality and the heart-wrenching loss of life.

When it comes to the realignment and restructuring of Malaysian politics, the decisions made today will matter greatly.

Starting down the path of race-based political parties 60 years ago led to a particular type of political narrative, which, in turn, led to deep racial divisions in Malaysian society – the repercussions of which have and will continue to haunt us for some time to come.

It may be a lot to ask of politicians, but in this time of redefining Malaysia, let us hope that cooler heads prevail, and that we do not find ourselves planting even more seeds of racial and religious divisions that will cause our children to suffer. – March 19, 2019.

* Nathaniel Tan is director of media and communications at EMIR Research.

* 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.