The Question Lies With PAS, Not The Ban On Alcohol

The banning of alcohol is actually a problem of PAS. And the problem of PAS lies with the conflicts between the conservatives and reformists within the party.

And the heart of the conflict lies with one person, the Selangor PAS chairman Hassan Ali.

Hassan Ali belongs to the conservative camp of PAS, who has over the years strongly advocated theocracy as well as Malay rights.

Such a discourse is vastly different from PAS' effort to try to shed its racist image. It therefore doesn't come as a surprise that some in the party have suggested that he should join UMNO.

As a matter of fact, Hassan Ali has been a key figure pushing for enhanced cooperation between PAS and UMNO after the March general elections.

If he had succeeded, the Pakatan Rakyat state government would no longer exist in Selangor, and the menteri besar would not have been PKR's Khalid Ibrahim, but Hassan Ali.

Last month, when PKNS appointed Low Siew Moi as its interim GM, Hassan Ali was on UMNO's side protesting the appointment of a non-Malay as PKNS' acting GM.

It is therefore not surprising that Selangor PAS is now pushing for the banning of alcohol in the state.

Merely a few days ago, Hassan Ali lashed out on the reformists within the state, stripping the party posts of Shah Alam MP Hj Khalid Abdul Samad (state vice chairman) and Ulu Kelang state assemblyman Saari Sungip.

Such explosive actions from Hassan Ali protrude more than just his own disposition, but the struggle between the opposing factions as well as the conflicts between the two major schools of thoughts within the party.

Behind Hassan Ali is national deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa and Terengganu state liaison committee chairman Mustapha Ali, while party president Hadi Awang has been deeply influenced by them.

Based in Terengganu, this faction has been tilting towards religious conservatism while not being able to emancipate itself from the Malay chauvinism. They are more inclined to reject any open policies of the party, and have attempted to distance themselves from PKR and DAP, even resisting any further cooperation with these two parties.

Their opponents are the party's reformists under Nik Aziz. Based in Kelantan, among the key figures in this camp are vice president Husam Musa, secretary-general Kamaruddin Jaafar, chief treasurer Mohd Hatta Ramli, and Khalid Abdul Samad from Selangor.

The reformists are staunchly against any form of cooperation with UMNO, advocating instead more openness and enhanced cooperation with PKR and DAP. They also accept Anwar Ibrahim as the Pakatan Rakyat leader.

The conservatives are currently in the upper hands, thanks to the support of ulamas within the party. A series of Islamisation policies introduced by them have also pleased the party's fundamentalists.

While party president Hadi Awang appears neutral, he has shown an inclination towards this faction. And Mustapha Ali has even become Hadi Awang's right-hand man, dominating in a number of major party policies.

The reformists, meanwhile, have garnered the support of the grassroots, besides leaders from Kelantan and Nik Aziz, and the stalemate in PAS-UMNO negotiations has been blamed largely on the powerful objections from the grassroots.

Nik Aziz's many notions, including the attire for women, have invited widespread controversies. Having said that, he has remained relatively open in making his decisions, including his rejection of racism, support for equality and righteousness as well as acceptance of non-Muslims as party members.

And this has also been the predisposing factor that has led to the support of many non-Muslims for PAS during the March general elections.

Conflicts between the two major opposing camps have blurred the distinct direction of PAS, resulting in swayed policies, indecision and diminished influences, while entrenching the suspicion of non-Muslim communities and internal rift within Pakatan Rakyat.

In the future, the triumph of any faction is poised to dictate the direction of the party. Perhaps, we can get the answer by the time the party holds its elections next year.

(By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)
MySinchew
2008.11.27