PAS’ hardline stance against Gerakan makes it hard for non-Muslims to consider PN as Pakatan alternative

PAS’ hardline stance against Gerakan makes it hard for non-Muslims to consider PN as Pakatan alternative

By Nehru Sathiamoorthy

THAT UMNO’s supreme council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi was laughing off the threat of Gerakan to quit Perikatan Nasional (PN) if its coalition allies continue to display religious extremism following the controversy over the source of funds for Chinese schools is acceptable.

UMNO and Gerakan are on opposing sides. It is accepted in the rules of engagement that those who oppose you will subject you to “trash talk.” Such things are accepted as part and parcel of competition whether it be in sports or politics.

That PAS is saying that “if Gerakan feels uncomfortable with PN, it is free to leave (the coalition) because this is a democratic country” is unfortunate because PAS is not only on the same side with Gerakan but it is much bigger and stronger than Gerakan.

That PAS is giving Gerakan such a “take it or leave it deal” from a position of advantage – just because Gerakan has nowhere else to go – will undoubtedly be seen as a calculated move to force Gerakan to submit to the whims of PAS.

As a matter of fact, this sort of “take and or leave it” deal is often only given to foreign workers – especially the undocumented sort – by exploitative employers to force these foreign workers to accept whatever deal that the exploitative employers throw at them.

Overzealous attack

That PAS is choosing to treat Gerakan as how exploitative employers treat a desperate foreign worker – instead of how a fair and just employer will treat a fellow Malaysian worker – is unfortunate.

PAS does not even have a very strong grounds for treating Gerakan in such a humiliating manner. After all, the matter that Gerakan is standing up for involves the right of Chinese schools to secure funding for their operation. Chinese schools are not fully funded by the government.

The affairs of Chinese school are as somehow similar to tahfiz schools. Considering all that, there is no reason for PAS to come out so strongly against Chinese schools getting funding from Tiger Beer when parents of the children who attend Chinese school and teachers of Chinese schools themselves are only voicing out their disapproval in a mild manner.

The problem is not that PAS is disapproving of breweries assisting vernacular schools with their fundings – a number of non-Muslims like social activist Kua Kia Soong are themselves disapproving of the matter – bur the issue lies in the extent to which PAS is showing its disapproval.

That PAS is showing greater vehemence in the matter than even the parents and teachers of the vernacular schools are showing in the matter will naturally beg the question, “why is PAS doing all this?”

Respecting non-Muslims

If the answer is because PAS cares about the pupils of the vernacular schools more than the parents and teachers of the vernacular schools itself cares about them, it will be too incredulous.

If the answer is that PAS is just disapproving of the fact that the government stance against the sponsorship of breweries in the funding of schools has been flouted, what PAS should have done is ask the government to explain itself and to address the matter in an analytical manner instead of attacking it in a categorical manner.

That PAS is showing a vehemence bordering on disgust over the matter is naturally raising the question whether PAS sees the non-Muslims in Malaysia as how a fair and just employer will see a local Malaysian worker or whether it sees them as how an exploitative employer sees an undocumented worker.

That being the case, can PAS blame non-Muslims for thinking that under PN’s rule, they are going to be subject to a “my way or the highway” treatment by the Islamist party or that they will be forced to obey PAS on affairs that are irrelevant to PAS.

As it is, non-Muslims in the country are already having reservations about the rule of the Madani government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The problem facing Malaysians is that if not Anwar and the Madani government, the only other option Malaysians have is PN.

But if PN is showing Malaysians signs that they are going to be subject to the humiliating “take it or leave” terms under its rule, what other choice do Malaysians have other than to stick with Anwar?

Is this really what PAS wants? – July 30, 2024



Nehru Sathiamoorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.