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  • Mufti Perlis: More Important Issues At Hand For Muslims Than Implementation Of Shariah Laws

    Mufti Perlis: More Important Issues At Hand For Muslims Than Implementation Of Shariah Laws

    PERLIS Mufti Datuk Dr Asri Zainul Abidin spoke bluntly at a recent forum on religion.

    “Gossiping is a big sin in Islam but are there (syariah) laws against gossiping? Do you see the religious authorities sending officers out to haul up those who gossip?’’

    He points out that while some things are haram (forbidden) and sinful in Islam, that does not mean that Allah demands for all of these to be punished in a court of law.

    In the case of adultery, for example, he says, if there are only three witnesses of good character present and not four as required by the religion, the adulterer would have to be let off.

    “Not all sins have to hauled up to court. The religion doesn’t ask us to go and check up on people, from room to room or car to car, asking for their surat nikah(marriage licence) to find out if they are married or not.’’

    Citing another example, he says, a powerful and rich person who commits a crime might be able to afford a good lawyer who cleverly argues the case and gets it thrown out of court.

    “But that doesn’t mean that because they got away with it in a court of law, they will get away with it in the Court of the Hereafter. God knows everything.

    “Muslims believe we will be tried for all our sins. Drinking alcohol, adultery, stealing are all sins. When we die, we will have to face God and answer for whatever we did. There is no escape.’’

    Dr Asri was speaking at the “How Much Do you Know About Hudud” forum organised by Angkatan Merdeka Malaysia.

    Touching on PAS president Datuk Seri Dr Hadi Awang’s motion before Parliament for the amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction ) Act 355 (popularly referred to as RUU355), Dr Asri said there are concerns it is all part of a political game.

    Dr Asri stresses that while the Quran and Sunnah (tradition of the Holy Prophet) are divine, the interpretations are not.

    He points out that while hudud (Islamic Penal Code) is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, it is not spelt out in great detail with regards to the context and conditions.

    So it was left to scholars to deliberate on these.

    “Scholars do not always agree so they have different interpretations of things. So which interpretation should you favour? These are not divine.’’

    On RUU355, Dr Asri says, the politicians supporting it keep saying it is not the hudud.

    “If it is not hudud, then surely we Muslims are allowed to criticise and give our views. So why is it that whoever criticises RUU355 is labelled as going against Islam? How is it that if you oppose the amendments you are said to oppose Allah’s Laws?

    “And what are Allah’s Laws? Does it mean that if you increase the penalty for an offence from RM5,000 to RM100,000 that it now becomes Allah’s Law?’’

    Dr Asri says even within the country, there are differences from state to state in the way Islamic matters, including polygamy, is dealt with, “so we must be very careful about calling something ‘Allah’s Law’.’’

    For him, discussion and debate are essential when looking into the dimension of punishment, because it is not only about implementation but also the conditions, the context, and suitability.

    He points out that in the Quran, there is a verse, Surah Al Anfal, which talks about the spoils of war and how they should be distributed, with fighters entitled to their share of them too. But he points out that this is not implemented today, because even though it is in the Quran, the wars of today are different from those in the early days; and soldiers now are paid salaries and allowances.

    “Defending the country is jihad (a noble struggle) but we don’t hear any political party in the country asking for a spoils of war law to be implemented because the context in today’s world is different.’’

    In a jibe at PAS, he says, “tens of years ago’’ they used to label other Muslims who were not with them as “infidels’’, they described the Federal Constitution as a “Jahiliyah” Constitution (Constitution of Ignorance) and warned Muslims against wishing non-Muslims during their religious festivals because for them that was tantamount to leaving the Muslim faith.

    But, he says, PAS has backpedalled now on what it said previously and today it says it upholds the Federal Constitution.

    “Allah’s Law should never be politicised. It is difficult when political parties come in and play a role in what they deem is Islamic law.

    “When religion is politicised, the discussion is no longer fresh and not the sort that can stimulate rational thinking and a healthy discourse.’’

    Dr Asri questions: Why do Muslims have a mentality that says, in order to be Islamic the hand of someone who steals has to be amputated?

    This kind of mentality is wrong, he says, adding that these kinds of Muslims understand Islam in a closed-off, secluded and non-holistic manner.

    “It is like the IS (Islamic State) mentality, where they think of only punishing and not about developing the place.’’

    For him, it is wrong to give the world the impression that justice in a Muslim country is served “when we cut off the hands of those who steal, whip those who commit adultery and punish those who drink alcohol’’ and that “this is what showcases the beauty of Islam’’.

    Dr Asri says Islam is all about better welfare for the people, spiritual development, strengthening family bonds, and ensuring peace and harmony in society.

    And he points out that the Government has already taken action to do a number of these, such as building schools and universities and giving people an education, which is something sought by the religion.

    He says there are many things which could have been brought before Parliament, such as how to inculcate the beauty and mercy of Islam into education and the economy.

    “But in tens of years in parliament, they (PAS) never even brought these up and focused instead on labelling other Muslims infidels, and having two imams during prayers (because they refused to be led in prayers by an Umno imam).”

    He points out that Muslim countries with renowned scholars such as Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar have never discussed implementing hudud, and countries like Pakistan, Sudan and Nigeria that tried to implement it have stopped, because in today’s world, people and conditions are different.

    He also says that in Islam there should never be double standards in implementing a law.

    “I fear that a person who steals a car will get his hand amputated but a nobleman who steals millions will not get his hand amputated.’’

    He questions what such a thing would do to the fabric of society and the image of Islam.

    Dr Asri says if a Muslim faces amputation for a theft and non-Muslims do not, that would not help create harmony and peace within society because there are two sets of laws for the same crime.

    He fears if such laws are enacted and implemented in an unjust manner, it will cause Muslims to leave the faith.

    “Muslims don’t need this right now.

    “There are many other issues that we should be looking into, such as the issue of good governance, the environment and corruption. We should also be looking at issues that help women, such as expediting divorce cases, because there are a number of cases where women in the midst of getting a divorce are left hanging for years without their cases being resolved. I think all these matters should be sorted out first otherwise people will feel that Islam is unjust to women.

    “For me, if the amendments to RUU355 are not going to result in good, let us postpone them and focus on our priorities.’’

     

    Source: www.thestar.com.my

  • Kelantan’s Non-Muslims Happy With PAS Rule, But Worried About Slow Economy, Hudud

    Kelantan’s Non-Muslims Happy With PAS Rule, But Worried About Slow Economy, Hudud

    Malaysia’s opposition Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) has won the support of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) to strengthen the country’s Syariah Courts, in what looks like the start of cooperation between the traditional rivals ahead of the next general election, due in 2018. What is life like under a PAS-led, or at least PAS-influenced, government? TODAY spent three days talking to non-Muslim residents of Kota Bharu, Kelantan — where PAS has been in power for over 20 years — on living under the Islamist party and what possible changes in the Syariah law means for them.

    KOTA BHARU — A steady stream of Muslim men converge on the Muhammadi Mosque built almost 150 years ago. Some are seen performing the ablution in the mosque compound, while those unable to get a spot in the hall lay out prayer mats on the pavement outside. One feels like one is in a city in the Middle East, and that feeling extends beyond the mosques. There are no cinemas in Kelantan. In supermarkets, men, women and families have to line up at the cashiers in three separate queues.

    Yet despite the outward appearance of Kelantan as a state governed strictly by an Islamist party, the non-Muslims here say they are generally happy with life under PAS rule and enjoy harmonious ties with those from other races and religions.

    The east coast state is home to 1.8 million people. Malays make up 95 per cent of the population, with the minority made up of Chinese, Indians and Thais. The main religion is Islam, but there are also many Chinese and Thai Buddhist temples.

    Kelantan has been under the rule of opposition Islamist party PAS for more than 20 years despite the state having one of the slowest economic growth rates in the country. PAS won Kelantan comfortably in the last general election in 2013, winning 32 seats out of 45 seats contested in the state legislative assembly. It did even better in the 2008 contest, sweeping 38 seats out of 45.

    PAS has also long made it a goal to introduce the Islamic criminal code in the state, and last month, party president Abdul Hadi Awang filed a controversial private member’s Bill in Parliament to strengthen the powers of Syariah courts.

    The Bill proposes to increase Syariah punishment caps to a maximum of 30 years’ jail, a RM100,000 (S$32,400) fine and 100 strokes of the cane. (The maximum penalties now are a jail term of three years, a fine of RM5,000 or six strokes of the cane.) Mr Hadi’s motion has been deferred to the next parliamentary sitting due in March 2017.

    The Bill has been supported by the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno), prompting an uproar from non-Muslims and politicians from minority parties. These include the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), an ally of Umno in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

    Both Umno and PAS leaders have stressed that the Bill does not apply to non-Muslims and has nothing to do with Islamic criminal law, or hudud.

    Despite this, Kelantan residents interviewed by TODAY said they are concerned about how the proposed law might affect their daily lives.

    “If it applies only to the Muslims, then I will be less worried. But there is also fear in us that things may take a different route,” said Mr Gan Yeong Shuoh, 30, a hotel manager.

    Another resident, Ms Lin Mei Li, 44, said the state government should explain more about the Bill and its position on hudud.

    “Most of them (local people) do not understand the Bill or its implementation even though they know that it is related to Islamic laws. Personally, I feel that our nation is developing to be a progressive nation. I am not willing to see the Islamic penal code being implemented, even though it is limited to the Muslims only,” she added.

    Punishment under hudud law includes the cutting off of one’s hands for theft, as well as stoning to death for extramarital sex.

    There is also concern among some Malaysians that Mr Hadi’s Bill will create a two-tiered legal system.

    “How will punishments be carried out if it involves a Muslim and non-Muslim?” said Mr Wee Pock Sun, president of The Federation of Hokkien Associations of Malaysia, raising a common concern of non-Muslims in the country.

    Mr Wee, 55, said that the Kelantan government should focus more on measures to develop people’s livelihoods instead.

    “They need to look at problems that involve the people. Find measures to tackle social ills and uplift the Kelantanese people. We have problems such as school dropouts and our education standard is still low. These are the problems that they need to address.”

    Mr Yap Cher Leong, 62, a businessman dealing with hardware and construction materials, agrees and said that two areas the PAS government can focus on are ecotourism and agrotourism.

    “Half-a-million Kelantanese are living in other cities because of employment. This itself speaks of the economic situation in the state,” he added.

    Kelantan recorded economic growth of 3.5 per cent last year, lower than the 5 per cent nationally. It was the third-slowest-growing state in the country, doing better only than Terengganu (3.3 per cent) and Perlis (2.3 per cent).

    It is reliant on services and agriculture. The services sector in Kelantan is driven mainly by the public sector, wholesale and retail, food and beverages, as well as hotel and accommodation. Agricultural products include paddy, palm oil, and fruit and vegetables.

    Kelantan MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau representative Ong Han Xian, 56, said that while relations between the various races and religions in the state have been good, investments have been hard to come by.

    “There is no economic development and investment from companies. Investors are afraid because of the negative perception they have of Islamic rules. Instead of focussing on religion only, PAS must think of ways to develop Kelantan,” Mr Ong said.

    He hopes that the upcoming East Coast Rail Link — a RM55 billion railway project that will span four states on the east coast and ends in Kelantan — will give a boost to the state’s economy when it is completed in 2022.

    Despite slower economic growth and uncertainties over hudud, Kelantan presents a picture of multiracial harmony for now.

    It is common to see Chinese and Malays dining together in halal Chinese-owned coffee shops.

    At the Pokok Pinang market in Kota Bharu, rows of open air stalls sell pork alongside businesses run by Malays.

    Residents say that when the state was under BN rule, pork sellers were constantly harassed and the trade was hidden from public view. The Chinese were also not allowed to purchase houses built on Malay reserve lands.

    However, when PAS took over, all these changed — Chinese markets were improved, and 30 per cent of houses built on Malay reserve land were allocated for sale to the Chinese community.

    Local businessman Michael Ong, 58, said that he feels proud of being Kelantanese and that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are good because of mutual respect.

    He added that, as a non-Muslim, he does not feel restricted living under a PAS government even though there are some restrictions when it comes to entertainment.

    “We are used to leading a simple life and our entertainment is in the form of interactions with our neighbours and friends. For example, attending dinners or joining various associations — these keep us occupied,” Mr Ong said.

    Residents say another key factor in the good communal ties in Kelantan is a common local dialect known as “Bahasa Kelate” (Bahasa Melayu Kelantan). Everyone in the state, regardless of their race, is able to converse fluently in it.

    Mr Oie Poh Choon, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Kelantan, said that people who have not visited Kelantan may have a somewhat distorted view of life under a PAS government.

    “Once you have experienced and visited Kelantan, you will know that it is different from what has been reported (in the media). The PAS government has taken good care of all the races living in the state,” said Mr Oie, 57.

    Another reason for the strong support for PAS is the huge respect the non-Muslims have for the late chief minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat, fondly known as “Tok Guru” (Grandmaster). Despite his conservative outlook, the humble lifestyle of the PAS spiritual leader — often dressed in a simple turban and white robe — won the hearts and minds of Kelantanese.

    Mr Michael Ong, the local businessman, said: “Tok Guru took care of everyone under his governance. He used Islamic values to care for the well-being of the people.”

    Politically, PAS has also practised mutual tolerance, said Kota Bharu Islamic City Municipal Council councillor Lim Guan Seng. “During muktamar (the PAS annual general assembly) the leadership would never voice out their dislike for the non-Muslims or play the race card,” he said.

    “Tolerance for other races came from the teachings of the late Tok Guru. The government has truly administered the state with true Islamic values.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • ‘Automatic’ Divorce From Wife For PAS Lawmakers Who Exit Party

    ‘Automatic’ Divorce From Wife For PAS Lawmakers Who Exit Party

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 ― Any male Kelantan PAS lawmaker who quits the party will be considered to have divorced his wife “automatically”, the state Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob has said in the wake of the controversial set-up of a new political outfit by splinter group Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB).

    Several Malay dailies reported Ahmad insisting that the divorce was legit under an oath called the “third talaq bai’ah”, sworn by all its assemblymen and MPs dating back to at least 2004.

    “The oath is true… When it happens, in Islam, even if we utter it once, the effect will be long-lasting,” the PAS deputy spiritual leader was quoted telling reporters in Kelantan yesterday.

    “Like what have been said by Kelantan Chief Shariah Judge Datuk Daud Muhammad, don’t take light of this because the effect is lasting… Don’t play around with this,” he added.

    The oath has since resurfaced on social media after PAS’ progressives were ousted at the party elections last month and went on to set up GHB as a precursor to the new Islamist political party they hope to register on September 14.

    The oath is allegedly a must for Kelantan PAS lawmakers before accepting their posts and requires them to swear to divorce their wives with the “third talaq” the moment they join a new party.

    Talaq ― or talak as it is spelled locally ― is a type of divorce in Islam which provides the man an avenue to initiate a divorce through simply pronouncing the word; if the man pronounces a “third talaq”, he is then prohibited from getting back with his wife again, unless he takes another woman as his wife and then divorces her afterwards before remarrying the first woman.

    Malay Mail Online cannot yet verify if a similar oath exists for Kelantan PAS’ women lawmakers too, such as Demit assemblyman Mumtaz Md Nawi and Tanjong Mas assemblyman Rohani Ibrahim.

    Kelatan’s chief Shariah judge had reportedly warned PAS members that such talaq was considered valid although it was recited in an oath or in jest, and breaking the oath would require them to proceed to the Shariah Court to verify the divorce.

    There are at least six Kelantan PAS lawmakers who are expected to join GHB’s new party: Tumpat MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar, Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, Pasir Puteh MP Datuk Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad, Kelaboran assemblyman Mohamad Zaki Ibrahim, and Tendong assemblyman Rozi Mohamad.

     

    Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

  • PAS Will Never Get Back Non-Muslim Support

    PAS Will Never Get Back Non-Muslim Support

    Mohamad Sabu is one of PAS’s most popular leaders, outside his party and among non-Muslims, that is. Internally, the party booted him out at the recent elections where he failed to defend the deputy president’s post. In the first of a two-part interview, Mat Sabu, as he is popularly known, mourns the passing of an Islamist party that enjoyed the support of non-Muslims for a period and fears it may never regain that trust.

    Even if he is voted back into the PAS leadership, the Islamist party will never regain its non-Muslim support, said former deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

    Better known as Mat Sabu and popular with the non-Muslim crowd, he also told of how hard he had to work to persuade PAS grassroots members to go out and rally with non-Muslims in earlier demonstrations led by electoral reform group Bersih.

    Mat Sabu painted a bleak future for the only opposition party with a religious ideology that had contributed to the death of Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

    He said there was now no remedy which could fix the situation for PAS to get back its non-Muslim support.

    “Non-Muslims are disappointed and broken-hearted by the whole situation.

    “Furthermore, PAS is now led by personalities from the east coast who rarely come into contact with Malaysians of other races and faiths,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

    Mat Sabu said the east coast leaders from Kelantan and Terengganu might think they do not need non-Muslim support since they only interacted with Malays daily.

    “They won’t feel it like we do here in Penang and Selangor. The Kelantan leaders had even said it is okay to do without PR because they were making assessments based on their own locations.

    “They can win in their areas but what about Selangor, Malacca and Johor? In Kedah, there are also parliamentary constituencies where non-Muslim votes make up some 40%.”

    He said the PAS leaders were not realistic if they thought the party could make it in general elections on its own.

    “In an election, you must have a coalition, unless you just want to be a regional party in Kelantan and Terengganu.

    “This is all going backwards.”

    He said when the first Bersih rally was being planned in 2007, it took him almost a year to go around asking PAS members to take part and join those from other races in the demonstration.

    The success of the rally, he said, contributed to PR’s victory in five states – Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan – in the 2008 general election.

    “Now, that multiracial image we built is gone. I do feel sad. Let PAS with its present leadership try to gather a crowd with all the different races now.

    “The ulamas in PAS organised an anti-GST (goods and services tax) rally first but the event was only attended by their own people. GST affects all Malaysians. You have got to include everyone.

    “This is what we are seeing. If PAS goes back to being a regional party, it will become stronger. But when election comes, it will be another matter.”

    Mat Sabu said even with PR now dead, the ruling Barisan Nasional would still fall, with or without PAS in the picture, because the people, especially the younger generation, were rejecting the ruling coalition.

    He said PAS should take care about trying to get close to Umno because this would only spell its own ruin.

    “If PAS wants to work with Umno, it, too, will suffer a hit. People just don’t want BN or Umno.

    “Take the Permatang Pauh by-election last month. In all streams, the percentage of votes for PKR by youth went up. It was not because they were PKR members. They just didn’t support Umno.”

    The PR pact “officially died” on Wednesday after PKR agreed with DAP that it no longer existed.

    The end of PR came after the PAS leadership, now dominated by the conservative ulama faction led by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, accepted a motion to sever ties with DAP without debate.

    The relationship between DAP and PAS had been rocky since last year over the Selangor menteri besar imbroglio, and worsened after the Islamist party tabled and passed the hudud bill in the Kelantan assembly to implement the Islamic penal code in the state.

    Things appeared to reach the point of no return when PAS adopted a motion without debate at its recent general assembly to cut ties with DAP.

     

    Source:www.themalaysianinsider.com

  • Implications Of The Pakatan Rakyat Split

    Implications Of The Pakatan Rakyat Split

    Malaysia’s three-party opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has split up over a series of policy disputes, including calls for the implementation of the Islamic penal code, or hudud, in Kelantan.

    The Democratic Action Party (DAP) announced on Tuesday (June 16) that the alliance was dead, blaming it on Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS). But more significantly, the collapse left the third component party – Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) – in a potentially dire situation.

    Here’s what you should know about the break up of PR and what may happen next:

    What is Pakatan Rakyat?

    The opposition bloc was formed in April 2008, uniting opposition parties that had long been pushed around by the governing Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN). Experts said PR was always a fragile alliance, given that it brought together bedfellows who were opposed ideologically, particularly the Islamist PAS and the secular DAP.

    The bloc won 52 per cent of the popular vote in the 2013 elections, tapping into growing resentment of Umno’s rule and corruption scandals. It failed to take power due to Umno gerrymandering, but its stunning performance under leader Anwar Ibrahim – jailed earlier this year on sodomy charges widely seen as trumped up by the government – had raised the possibility of a historic change of power in Malaysia.

    The PR currently controls three states: Kelantan (PAS-led), Penang (DAP-led) and Selangor (PKR-led). The DAP holds 37 of 222 seats in Malaysia’s parliament, the PKR 29, and PAS 21.

    What happened?

    When PAS saw its share of seats shrink in the 2013 election, it started to reassert its Islamic agenda and push for hudud in Kelantan state. Its president Abdul Hadi Awang was criticised for pushing a bill on hudud without consulting his opposition partners. This led to the DAP announcing in March that it would no longer work with the PAS leader.

    The rift worsened this month after the PAS leadership was captured by conservatives and the party accepted a motion by its conservative ulama (clerics) wing to sever ties with the DAP.

    In response, DAP’s Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said in a statement on Tuesday (June 16) that the PR no longer exist. Mr Lim, who is also Penang’s Chief Minister, said it was the PAS president’s unilateral decision to push for hudud and his party’s decision to sever ties with DAP that led to the PR’s collapse. He added that the DAP would continue to work with PKR and other parties that want to end BN’s rule “to reshape and realign Malaysian politics with the aim of winning Putrajaya for the people”.

    Dismissing the DAP’s statement, PAS Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said the opposition alliance was still intact. “DAP’s decision will not dissolve the coalition,” he stressed.

    PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said on Wednesday (June 17) that PKR will not cut its ties with the DAP and PAS, blaming neither but chiding both for precipitating a crisis. “PR no longer functions formally,” she said in a statement, emphasising that PKR would continue to support the DAP-led Penang state government and the PAS-led Kelantan state government.

    What are the implications?

    Analysts are divided over how Umno and the ruling BN, as well as Prime Minister Najib Razak could benefit from the break up of the PR.

    “Opposition in disarray is certainly helpful for Najib’s survival. He is now actively courting Sabah and Sarawak for support even within Umno and BN. As long as he can convince the party he can still deliver, the party members will stick with him. Corruption is not a cardinal sin for Umno leaders. Mahathir had his own shares of financial scandals but he ruled for 23 years. Najib, and certainly Rosmah, see no reason why they can’t learn from Mahathir,” said Penang Institute fellow Wong Chin Huat, referring to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and wife of Mr Najib, Rosmah Mansor.

    But analyst Tan Seng Keat from the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research said the impact is difficult to predict. Umno and its coalition are racked by infighting of their own, as concerns over the economy and damaging financial scandals have further raised the possibility of defeat in the next polls, due by 2018.

    On the opposition side, the DAP has asked PAS representatives to resign from their posts in the Penang state government and its agencies. PAS does not hold any influence in the state assembly as it has only one lawmaker while DAP dominates the 40-seat state legislature with 29 assemblymen.

    PAS, on the other hand, controls the Kelantan state assembly with 32 out of 45 seats. DAP has no representatives while PKR has only one.

    PKR, however, could find itself in potentially dire straits. It cannot sustain a majority in the 57-seat Selangor state assembly without the support of both PAS and DAP. The party had wanted to mediate between the two feuding partners but DAP turned down its offer.

    PAS strategist Zuhdi Marzuki has called for the formation of a new political pact involving only Malay-Muslim parties, similar to one that PAS joined and was led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the 1990s. It was disbanded after Tengku Razaleigh rejoined Umno in 1996.

    “Now it is up to PKR which leads Selangor to decide whether it wants to continue with a coalition with PAS in PR or not,” Dr Zuhdi said. “If PKR also withdraws from PR, then it is not impossible that the Selangor state government will become shaky.”

    What could happen next?

    The opposition parties and even the ruling BN may seek new realignments, including:

    A new opposition pact

    Analaysts believe the DAP and PKR will try to link up with a new partner to form a new opposition pact before the next general election because this remains their only realistic path to defeating BN. Along with PAS, PR has 87 seats in Parliament against BN’s 134. A possible partner is a new party mooted by PasMa, a PAS splinter group formed last year. Following the conservative sweep in PAS’ party elections earlier this month and the collapse of PR, PasMa said it was in discussion with several leaders and parties to set up a new moderate Islamic party that could cooperate with both PKR and DAP.

    “It is back to square one until they find a replacement vehicle for PAS. May or may not be PasMa. PR needs a party for Islamists and rural areas, something PKR is not good at,” said Professor James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania.

    PAS and Umno coalition

    The possibility of a unity government of PAS and Umno – the key, Malay-based party in BN – has been talked about since before the 2013 General Election. With the conservatives now dominating PAS, it is increasingly likely that the two parties may be tempted to work together.

    However, it is unclear if Umno is willing to risk breaking up its own multiracial coalition to embrace the Islamist PAS. Although Umno supported the PAS-run Kelantan government’s plans to adopt hudud in March this year, Mr Najib has yet to make his stand on hudud.

    “It is most unlikely that Umno will accept PAS in a Malay/Muslim-only unity government as this will mean the effective breakup of the Barisan as a multiracial, multi-religious coalition,” said Centre for Policy Initiatives director Lim Teck Ghee.

    However, Mr Wong, the Penang Institute fellow, said Umno might compromise, allowing PAS safe seats in Kelantan and Terengganu in the next general election.

    “What will likely happen is a covert pact between the two, with PAS attacking DAP, PKR and the PAS pragmatists if they leave the party.

    “Since it is in the interest of Umno to keep PAS floating, Umno will not put up a full fight in some seats in Kelantan and Terengganu so that PAS will survive with 10 seats or so. A complete collapse of hardliners within PAS will drive the Islamist voters to the splinter party, PKR or even DAP.”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com