The Party Islam-Se Malaysia (PAS) is currently the ally of the ruling Umno party since all the bridges that link the PAS to the Pakatan Harapan – Coalition of Hope – opposition group is cut.
But many in the opposition – including former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad – does not understand Anwar Ibrahim’s insistence that talks – even though a tiny window of communication – should remain open for the PAS.
Anwar is actually making space for the rogue opposition Islamists to have a footing in a future opposition government since the Pakatan might just need the numbers to topple the BN after the polls.
The fiery opposition leader who is still battling for the national causes behind bars has set the opposition grouping on an explosive course when he urged the opposition leaders not to dismiss the chance of continued talks with the PAS.
His letter from jail has sparked rumors on social media networks. Some are saying it is not Anwar who wrote the letter, others are saying it is a plot by the Selangor Menteri Besar’s to keep the bridge open with the PAS.
Azmin, an Anwar Ibrahim man in and out of all the years of troubles and good times they had together, would probably not betray Anwar on such an issue.
Those who know Anwar, having followed him for decades now, would agree that Anwar is not a person who will abandon hopes on anyone, not even on Najib Razak (albeit to get rid of him in local politics) as he never abandoned hope on Mahathir. And his hopes on Mahathir has paid.
For those who do not what happens behind closed doors – and this writer is privy to some of these events – Anwar has always had hopes that Mahathir would eventually need the PKR’s help in battling Najib out of power.
Anwar had sent his closest (and personal) allies to talk to Mahathir in the past, though the latter rejected all the offers. But these were based on the notion of ‘friendship’ and ‘brotherhood’ in Islam.
And this comes from Anwar’s deep Islamic beliefs that once you are brothers, you are brothers for ever.
Azmin will testify to the fact that Anwar is a staunch believer in his ‘Islamic’ brothers. Anwar will never deny this fact.
However, it is incredible that those who hail from an Islamic party find it that difficult to admit – at least once in their lifetime – that their party is where it is today because of the sacrifices made by Anwar Ibrahim.
My writings in the Harakah newspaper were banned after I accused the leaders of the party – in particular, those who are gyrating around Prime Minister Najib Razak – of betrayal.
I wrote in one last article to them that they were betraying Anwar Ibrahim and his struggle after they started negotiating with the UMNO right after the 2008 electoral successes of the opposition coalition.
That was the time when WFTV broke the news of the negotiations between the PAS and the UMNO. Our reports on the talks infuriated the PAS indeed but it amused the UMNO, as it these talks were clearly an act of division of the solidly anchored opposition in the Parliament.
But the PAS did not see it this way. They used Anwar’s struggle to re-invent themselves in order to gain appeal with the UMNO. The only stumbling blocks were indeed, Mahathir and bereaved Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
The rational questions are to why is it so difficult for Islamists to accept the fact that without Anwar, today they might just be the party that has been?
And why is is that the Islamists are the ones who are fast to betray the men who made them who they are, that is Nik Aziz and Anwar?
And the last question – in all rationale – is why does it take ‘Islamists’ to betray their own preachings and to act against what the religion they are trumpeting for their own political gains taught?
And ‘Islamists’ whom I will call ‘social media practitioners’ (so called supporters of the opposition) whom we should call ‘armchair politicians’ are harping both at Anwar and Azmin for promoting the idea of brotherhood to the core?
Tainted as PAS is, the Islamist party is slowly moving away from its own morals and is diverting into turning its members into UMNO lackeys.
Is it for the money? Or was it always the quintessential reasoning of the Islamists from the beginning of their support to Anwar on his reform agenda? If both are the reasons behind their behaviors, then can the Pakatan Harapan trust them in the aftermath of the polls?
Unless Hadi Awang, the PAS leader is wiped out of the Parliament, there is little room for the PAS to join the opposition in a government. This, however, may happen if the opposition wins big. They might still need the PAS on board to make the numbers and weaken the BN.
Yet the simple fact that they (PAS) cannot accept the truth, the plain truth, is disturbing for the future of the country given that the PAS is harping that it will win 40 seats and will be one of the largest parties in the BN-UMNO-PAS coalition of the future government!
And what will the PAS say about DAP eternal leader Lim Kit Siang’s testament that Malaysia owes a lot to Anwar for his sacrifice and his role and struggle?