Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Umno lusts after PAS in earnest : Can PAS resist the temptations

All the signals are there. BN is in a fix. They need PAS badly. The signs are unmistakable.

In the past few days, Najib has started the ball rolling that PAS would be better off in Barisan Nasional. Commenting that PAS is an Islamist Party, it would be odd to be in the PR Coalition. It wouldn’t work, they should not kid themselves. Better to be in BN. Do it for Malay and Muslim unity. But is BN any different? BN is a coalition of 13 different parties serving different communities. What does BN have that PR doe not?

Why is BN changing its stance from Pro-Malaysian to pro-Malay and Muslim? Why is MCA, Gerakan and MIC so quiet about this proposed merger? Because the moment they fail to be Pro-Malaysian will be when Malaysians decide that BN’s time is up. Are the rest of the parties in BN so useless to UMNO that UMNO has to try so hard to save its hide by courting PAS all in the name of Malay and Muslim unity?

Now that the Chinese won’t play ball with BN anymore, Umno has to resort to desperate measures. It has branded the Chinese as disloyal to BN because it now needs the Malays to support BN before the coalition crumbles. The other BN parties have yet to protest at this gross hypocrisy. It is strange that they are blind or are they just too afraid to stand up to Umno, especially MCA and Gerakan.

It is not BN that Umno is trying to save, but its own hide. About to lose the gold mine they dug, the Umno elite have no choice. It is either PAS or kiss everything bye bye!

Now you know why all the strange and conflicting calls and posturing. They are nothing more than wild SOSes from a dying Umno!

Umno fighting for own survival not BN's

Muhyiddin has also gone on to comment that PAS as an Islamist Party was a ‘strange bedfellow’ for being in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. They should be in BN’s fold where they rightly belong to fight for Malay and Muslim unity. But then on another note he goes on to say: "This is what differentiates Umno from PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) .

In the context of the Malay and Islamic political struggle, Umno has always been consistent in defending the purity of Islam and protecting the Malays. "Instead, Pas is willing to set aside its principles to gain support. Previously, they were adamant in their struggle to establish an Islamic state. Now, that issue is no longer important because they are afraid of losing the support of DAP and PKR."

Then Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaludin said that he had no high hopes that PAS will rejoin Umno. Khairy said BN would not feel hurt or sad over PAS' rejection, but with all sincerity, the door was always open for PAS to rejoin BN.

Zambry, the Menteri Besar of Perak, is the latest to comment that PAS shouldn’t be with the PR Coalition. He also said that Umno would readily welcome PAS with open arms. Ironically, the job he usurped used to belong to a Menteri Besar from PAS - the very popular Nizar Jamaluddin.

With so many leaders in BN openly wooing PAS, alarm bells are ringing across the nation. BN will not survive if PAS stays put in PR. Every trick of the book is being used to entice PAS. Never before has PAS been so pampered? PAS is under pressure.

But would they yield to the wishes of Umno? Will PAS sell their souls to rejoin Umno which they have branded before as an evil entity?

Most PAS leaders are steadfast in their decision to stick with Pakatan Rakyat. But there are some who believe that rejoining Umno will open new doors. Their impatience to gain positions, fame and fortune may outweigh their loyalty to the party and their beliefs.

But this is what the PAS president has to say. Abdul Hadi Awang invited Umno members and leaders to join PAS if they were really serious about implementing Islam and establishing justice for people of all races in the country.

Hadi also said there was no question of PAS leaving the Pakatan. “Our conscience is clear, and our cooperation in PR is based on the policy of mutual cooperation in establishing justice and fighting injustice," said Hadi.

So PAS has said it. Which part of the speech does BN and Umno not understand?

More temptations to be offered to PAS members

Already, the 'exodus' has begun or so Umno insists with the help of their mainstream media, which reports hundreds of PAS supporters defecting in Kedah. It will start to snowball in the near future, as BN intensifies its campaign to project a confident image for the next election. They know time is running out, there is nothing to lose and they will sacrifice national unity and that of the minorities in their quest to preserve power.

BN has no intention to change. They are incapable of change. They will never implement changes as it is beyond them. Their power base lies in Race-Based Politics. Drastic changes can only impair their power to control the status quo. And now, they are drumming up support through shady means just to defend their last bid for survival.

Their attempts to entice PAS with everything from positions, party posts and financial rewards are just to create a lifeline. But once the threat is over, and BN regains its two thirds majority, then it will try again to put PAS in its 'rightful' place - “Right at the bottom.”

After all, there are never enough seats for everybody. The front VIP seats are already reserved for Umno while all the back benches are for PAS. The rest of BN have got to sit on the floor. Yes, that includes you Chua Soi Lek, Koh Tsu Koon and G Palanivel.

This threat is very real. It has nothing to do with Malay and Muslim unity.

For BN, it is the only way to regain their Power Base. For PAS, it is Religious Beliefs, Morality and Loyalty versus Money and Power. For Pakatan Rakyat, it is a test of fire, whether they can remain united to face the common enemy.

For Malaysians, we hope and pray, with our fingers crossed that there won't be enough of those who are willing to sell out the Country for earthly treasures. We hope and pray that the power of Good shall triumph over Evil.

Let us see if PAS can resist those temptations.

Written by Iskandar Dzulkarnain, Malaysia Chronicle

No comments:

Post a Comment