Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

THE August 12 state elections promise to be intensely competitive as the parties, particularly the Malay-based ones, are largely competing in a crowded market, namely the Malay-Muslim voters.

Such intensity is also felt by the seeming jitters displayed in various ways by the political parties and their leaders concerned.

For instance, PAS has issued a gag order to its members to not publicly express their dissatisfaction over the selection of its politicians as election candidates.

The case in point relates to Nik Mohammad Abduh Nik Aziz, the son of former Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who was dropped from the PAS line-up, resulting in him not contesting in the Chempaka seat and, in turn, taking a break from politics.

This has triggered an allegation by the late Nik Aziz’s younger brother Nik Din Nik Mat that Kelantan’s caretaker deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah had a hand in Nik Abduh’s candidacy exclusion.

Amar has since denied making such a diabolical move and considers the allegation a slander against him.

Another controversy emerged involving a case in which Bayan Lepas PAS grassroots initially objected to the idea of Gerakan president Dominic Lau contesting in the Malay-majority area.

Lau was eventually named PN’s candidate for Bayan Lepas, despite the protest that suggests a refusal of PAS members concerned to embrace the multiethnic politics that Gerakan professes.

As a result of such brouhaha, PAS told its disgruntled members to direct their complaints through the “appropriate channels”. It is, however, feared that going through these channels might cause the grievances to be buried under bureaucratic weight.

It is conceivable PAS headquarters imposed the gag order in the wake of a controversy surrounding DAP politicians recently being dropped from the party’s list that consequently sparked resignations of its two leaders and them contesting as Independents in Penang.

In other words, PAS is determined to maintain a positive public profile of a united front against its political rivals in the race to capture Malay votes. A disunited Malay-Muslim party might not impress the ummah.

This explains why the party also sacked eight of its members because two of them have decided to contest as Independents in Langkawi, while the rest are their nominators and supporters.

Sleight-of-hand tactics appear to have been employed by certain quarters who are edgy about the electoral outcome.

For example, a 90-minute speech delivered in 2013 by Sultan Nazrin Shah, then regent of Perak, was edited and taken out of context to make it look like he was supportive of PAS. This ploy was aimed to influence voters to support the Islamist party in the state elections.

The Perak palace has since lodged a police report regarding this matter.

Similarly, an underhanded tactic was used to tarnish the public image of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

A press statement purportedly issued by the Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry stated that Hadi was permanently banned from entering the country because of his supposed terrorism ideology. This has gone viral on social media.

PAS condemned what it considered as fake information produced by those it regarded as being bankrupt of ideas to smudge the image of PAS and its president in the run-up to the elections.

But elections can also spring surprises. 

Kelantan Perikatan Nasional announced 18 offers in its manifesto, one of which is to address a decades-long issue of muddy piped water that has inconvenienced the local communities. It is significant that PAS has seen it fit to include water supply improvement as part of the manifesto.

In a move that could make some, including environmentalists, heave a sigh of relief, the Selangor government recently declared it has decided to scrap the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link highway project. 

Sceptics are concerned, especially when the announcement was made a few weeks before the state elections, which is seen as offering carrots to the voters.

Similarly, the residents who have taken a legal action against the project were more circumspect, saying they would first see whether the decision was carried through.

In a matter of one day, the state government sprang yet another surprise, which lends credence to the sceptics’ reservation.

Caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari reportedly said the project might be revived if its developer fulfils the requirements set by the state government. Will he have second thoughts after the elections? 

As intimated above, these elections will be hotly contested, in which competing politicians strive in numerous ways to make themselves shine in the eyes of the voters. – August 2, 2023.