I wish to respond to an article placed in Malaysiakini entitled ‘We cannot trust PAS’ by Arvin Kalam Pereira. It was brought to my attention by a few friends but due to the busy schedule, what with the seemingly never ending celebration of us Malaysians, Hari Raya then Deepavali then Haji, I did not get to put finger on keyboard until today.
The article suggests that PAS cannot be trusted. Issues raised are as follows:-
To say that PAS acknowledges Mdm Low’s capability and rejected her on purely racial grounds is not true. We must not allow ourselves to be influenced by the BN media. Even Tuan Guru Haji Abd. Hadi said that there is no reason why a non-Malay cannot be the GM of PKNS if he or she is qualified and trustworthy. PKNS is after all only one of the many GLCs. This was quoted by Utusan Malaysia eventhough the captions implied something else.
On the question of female performers; too petty to respond to and long settled.
Second, we went as we were invited by UMNO. It was not an attempt by PAS as the author charges but rather a desperate attempt by UMNO to salvage their position in Selangor.
Reading the authors statement, one would would be forgiven for concluding that PAS accepted the offer made by BN. “More vile than the stabbing of Julius Ceasar”, how dramatic! It is interesting to note that PAS was offered far more than what it received under PR but PAS rejected it. If even by rejecting it we are accused of ‘betrayal’, I wonder what proof of loyalty demands. Maybe the author wants us to deny that we are Malays and Muslims. Sorry. That won’t happen. Neither do we expect the Chinese to denounce their Chinese ancestory or the Indians theirs.
Anywhere else in the world, our rejection of such an attractive offer made to us by UMNO would be recognised as a sign of GREAT commitment. We would be applauded for we rejected the offer of the MB post and 6 exco positions! No small sacrifice but we know where we stand. However, when one looks through tainted glasses, everything looks tainted. Are we so biased that even meeting with UMNO is seen as taboo?
PAS prides itself in its openess. It is this openess that made BA and later, PR, possible. The meeting is a small matter. The important issue is that UMNO made its best offer and we rejected it!
Similar stands for different reasons do not make us the same. UMNO rejects Low due to her race. We reject her due to her collusion with the old regime. With respect to the other issues, all clarified. On the issue of ‘secret talks’, not so secret if the author knows about it! No talks on coalition is on the way. The Sept. 16 issue was Mustapha Ali’s personal stand and he was reprimanded for it by Tok Guru Nik Aziz. Why does the author insist on telling half-truths, I wonder.
Anyway, I do not see much in this writing except the airing of the author’s own prejudices. I believe the Malaysian public is not that easily influenced today as they were a few years ago but I do agree that in the end, trust is to be won and not demanded. I can only hope that the public will judge us objectively. Actions speak louder than words and we will win over the public except those who do not wish to be won over.
With respect to his electoral suggestions, one must acknowledge that PR parties won because of the combined support from PAS, PKR and DAP supporters. There are those in PAS who believe PAS was the main factor which gave PR the win. There are those in PKR who believe they were. I do not agree with either. If we split or try to coerce a member party in this manner or that manner, it will be to the detriment of PR as a whole. The basis as agreed, namely consultation and consensus, is the way to go. We should not let the victory go to our individual heads. Even DAP admits that in many seats, PAS support was pivotal. DAPs, PKRs and non-Muslim support was equally important for PAS victories. The same applies to PKR.
Message number two.
WalLahu 'Alam
The article suggests that PAS cannot be trusted. Issues raised are as follows:-
Mdm Low’s AppointmentMy response on the PKNS issue has been posted on my blog since the first day the issue hit the papers. I will not respond in detail again. Suffice to say that Mdm Low is not the right candidate. She was part of the old management and has to take responsibility for her actions. She may claim she was forced but there was at least one other Manager who stood his ground and his contract was terminated. She need not comply for fear of death or poverty. For non-Malays to support her because she is a non-Malay, they too may equally be said to be racially motivated. Calls for her termination and that of Dato’ Harun was received since April.
PAS' track record since the March 8 election and its recent position with regards to the appointment of Low Siew Moi as acting CEO of PKNS has shown up the true racial character of the party.
PAS has publicly objected to the appointment of Low as acting CEO of PKNS - an objection based solely and only on the basis of her race - so said PAS Selangor after acknowledging that her capabilities were not in question
To say that PAS acknowledges Mdm Low’s capability and rejected her on purely racial grounds is not true. We must not allow ourselves to be influenced by the BN media. Even Tuan Guru Haji Abd. Hadi said that there is no reason why a non-Malay cannot be the GM of PKNS if he or she is qualified and trustworthy. PKNS is after all only one of the many GLCs. This was quoted by Utusan Malaysia eventhough the captions implied something else.
Deputy Menteri Besar and Female PerformersThe issue of a deputy Menteri Besar is news to me. What I understand is that it is not a position which has to be appointed and it was a wise decision to avoid it. Why create an issue at such an early stage? I am afraid the author may be a victim of BNs propaganda who wishes to drive a race wedge between the PR partners.
Just after the election, based on some flimsy racial and religious arguments, PAS objected to the proposal by PKR and DAP to appoint a non-Malay as deputy menteri besar both in Perak and Selangor.
This was followed by PAS-led Kedah barring women from performing in public - an act that went against PAS' own election manifesto.”
On the question of female performers; too petty to respond to and long settled.
Relationship With UMNO and BetrayalFirst, the so called ‘top secret rendezvous’ was revealed to the media on the 14th of March in a Press conference at PAS Selangor State HQ. Some papers reported it but it was not splashed all over the news until months later when, for their benefit, Dollah exposed it. And I do not think 6 o’clock in the evening of the 10th of March would qualify as the ‘wee hours’.
If one were to describe this breach of its election manifesto as a serious breach of ethics by PAS, it pales in significance to the top secret rendezvous PAS had with Umno in the wee hours after the March 8 election in what some analysts describe as an attempt by PAS to form a coalition with Umno in Perak and Selangor.
This can only be described as a stab in the back by PAS to its other coalition partners - an act more vile than the stabbing of Julius Caesar by Brutus and company.
Second, we went as we were invited by UMNO. It was not an attempt by PAS as the author charges but rather a desperate attempt by UMNO to salvage their position in Selangor.
Reading the authors statement, one would would be forgiven for concluding that PAS accepted the offer made by BN. “More vile than the stabbing of Julius Ceasar”, how dramatic! It is interesting to note that PAS was offered far more than what it received under PR but PAS rejected it. If even by rejecting it we are accused of ‘betrayal’, I wonder what proof of loyalty demands. Maybe the author wants us to deny that we are Malays and Muslims. Sorry. That won’t happen. Neither do we expect the Chinese to denounce their Chinese ancestory or the Indians theirs.
Anywhere else in the world, our rejection of such an attractive offer made to us by UMNO would be recognised as a sign of GREAT commitment. We would be applauded for we rejected the offer of the MB post and 6 exco positions! No small sacrifice but we know where we stand. However, when one looks through tainted glasses, everything looks tainted. Are we so biased that even meeting with UMNO is seen as taboo?
PAS prides itself in its openess. It is this openess that made BA and later, PR, possible. The meeting is a small matter. The important issue is that UMNO made its best offer and we rejected it!
The question of ‘can PAS be trusted?’I do not believe the author has presented a strong case to support his conclusion that PAS says one thing during elections and does another thing after that. I believe I have clarified all the issues raised and addresssed his misinformation and misconception.
These developments pose two fundamental questions to all Malaysians. The first question is can PAS be trusted in office after gaining power at the federal level in the next elections as part of Pakatan Rakyat? Now, the answer to the first question, can PAS be trusted, has to be a resounding ‘no’. The reasons are many fold. For one, how can you trust a party that says one thing during an election and does another thing after that?
In rally after rally, PAS said PAS Untuk Semua (PAS for everyone) meaning all Malaysians. Is Low not a Malaysian? How could you say you represent all and then say a Chinese cannot be an acting CEO - even for a year?
Blatant racialism from a party that says all humans have come from one source - Adam and Eve. All these statements after so many non-Malays had voted for PAS even in non-Malay constituencies like Kota Raja based on the promise to us that PAS is ‘for all Malaysians’.
The question of ‘Is PAS a replica of UMNO?’This is again untrue. PAS rejects the idea of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and instead holds to the concept of ‘Ketuanan Tuhan’ atau ‘Ketuanan Allah’.
The second question is, is PAS a replica of Umno? To answer this, one has to give a resounding ‘yes’. The reason? PAS believes in Ketuanan Melayu and so does Umno.
Umno is against Low’s appointment, PAS is against Low’s appointment too. Umno says ‘no’ to a non-Malay as deputy menteri besar, PAS says the same too.
No one was in talks with Umno, not DAP, not PKR. Only PAS.They are still in secret talks. Umno files trumped-up charges against Anwar and PAS was still in talks with Umno.
Umno said that the Sept 16 takeover was a ‘mirage’, Terengganu PAS said the same. We can go on and on.
Similar stands for different reasons do not make us the same. UMNO rejects Low due to her race. We reject her due to her collusion with the old regime. With respect to the other issues, all clarified. On the issue of ‘secret talks’, not so secret if the author knows about it! No talks on coalition is on the way. The Sept. 16 issue was Mustapha Ali’s personal stand and he was reprimanded for it by Tok Guru Nik Aziz. Why does the author insist on telling half-truths, I wonder.
Two messages to the Malaysian voters – First Message.If PAS wanted to join UMNO to form the government, what is preventing PAS from doing it today? We could be the MBs for Perak, Selangor,Kedah,Terengganu and Kelantan and hold Federal Ministerial posts today! What is stopping us? Why do we have to wait for PRU 13? Is it so difficult to see our commitment to the vision of a just society?
So where does this leave us, we Chinese, Indians and Malays who had voted for PAS on its promise that it has matured into a moderate and ethical multi-racial Islamic party. We need to send a loud and clear message on our dissatisfaction to PKR and to a lesser degree DAP as well as to all Malaysian voters.
Message number one - do not place PAS candidates in large multi-racial constituencies like Kota Raja or else we will spoil our votes in the next election and BN will end up as the winners. Place PAS in areas that have 70 to 80% Malays and let them try their luck there.
PKR must contest all the multi-racial seats. We cannot trust PAS. After the election they may hold us to ransom and dictate that their support to the formation of a government will only be on the basis of an Islamic state with hudud laws - irrespective of what their election manifesto says.
They have proven to us that they cannot be trusted. This will indeed happen. If PKR and DAP refuse their demands, they may just team up with Umno and form the government - another betrayal.
Anyway, I do not see much in this writing except the airing of the author’s own prejudices. I believe the Malaysian public is not that easily influenced today as they were a few years ago but I do agree that in the end, trust is to be won and not demanded. I can only hope that the public will judge us objectively. Actions speak louder than words and we will win over the public except those who do not wish to be won over.
With respect to his electoral suggestions, one must acknowledge that PR parties won because of the combined support from PAS, PKR and DAP supporters. There are those in PAS who believe PAS was the main factor which gave PR the win. There are those in PKR who believe they were. I do not agree with either. If we split or try to coerce a member party in this manner or that manner, it will be to the detriment of PR as a whole. The basis as agreed, namely consultation and consensus, is the way to go. We should not let the victory go to our individual heads. Even DAP admits that in many seats, PAS support was pivotal. DAPs, PKRs and non-Muslim support was equally important for PAS victories. The same applies to PKR.
Message number two.
Message number two - do not give PAS enough seats in the next elections for them to be able to become a ‘king-maker’ as Abdul Hadi Awang has indicated. If Pakatan members end up giving in then it is for the electorate to reject PAS in many areas so that they do not become a ‘king-maker’.We are ‘king-maker’ today, as is also each member party of the PR. We believe we are using this position responsibly.
The Indian Community and Kelab Penyokong PAS.PAS’s constitution is currently as such. The party is open to Muslims of all races. Associate and full membership is being looked at for non-Muslims. It was never thought, by those who drafted the Constitution in the 50s, that a time would come when non-Muslims would want to become members.However we wish the non-Muslims to fully understand the basis of our struggle before becoming full members. We also must get our own members to understand the coming changes. Things moved very fast and we moved a bit on the slow side as well. We hope to have full membership for non-Muslims before the next General Elections.
Finally, large sections of the Indian community are following PAS with the same blind allegiance that they showed to MIC and Samy Vellu in the past. They are in complete denial of what PAS is doing.
PAS is craftily exploiting this blind loyalty of the Indians and giving them peanuts by making them member of PAS Supporters Club. A failure to open the eyes of these Indians would result in the community being marginalised again and being left behind for another 50 more years - this time for supporting PAS
If PAS if ‘for all’ as they claim, why not allow Indians and Chinese as full members of the party like the Malays and Muslims? The proof of the pudding is in the eating - the proof of inclusiveness lies in Indians and Chinese being made full members of PAS and being able to stand for PAS party elections and being able to vote. Anything less is just a sham.
The Ultimate QuestionIt is unfortunate that the author has made this conclusion. Maybe it is he who is in complete denial not the Indians who are supporting PAS. If he cannot differentiate between UMNO and PAS and even considers it worse than UMNO then it is unfortunate. Perhaps he should suggest PKR and DAP team up with UMNO then. It is his perception, brought about by trusting the BN controlled media. I would suggest that he takes off his tainted glasses and looks at the facts again. And please, do not believe all that you read in the BN media.
So the answer to the ultimate question, is PAS actually Umno with an Islamic tag? The answer is ‘yes’ but with the ‘but’ - but it is worse than Umno. Why? Because Umno does not camouflage itself, it says what it stands for.
PAS on the other hand says one things and does another thing. PAS is a political chameleon, nothing more nothing less. A party that is just like the lizard that changes its colour to suit its environment - just to survive.
WalLahu 'Alam
Comments
PAS makes little effort to assuage non-Muslims that it is really sincere in its "PAS FOR ALL" motto.
Its more like "ALL FOR PAS" at the moment. Please look in the mirror.
Don't forget that Mat Sabu announced during the Muktamar that it was the mighty Indian vote swing which gave Kedah to PAS.
It's good and a blessing in disguise to have people like you, Abu Iman & Abu Urwah in PAS leadership...people who have seriously, sincerely and vigorously undergone Islamic tarbiyyah/training eversince student days in UK. It open up PAS, at least in terms of ability to handle and manage the many delicate issues brought by the enemies particularly UMNO.
PAS need more people like you all... ustaz/ustazah are fine, but they are indeed/inherently deficient of the current knowledge/ability and capacity to deal with such intricate and delicate modern subjects.
Keep it up YB!
My prayers will be for you all, for PAS and for all peace loving people who sincerely struggle for justice to prevail on this Earth!
Allahu Akbar!
teruskan YB ...teruskan penerangan YB nie ..esok esok semua org akan paham ...jarang dpt org yang boleh memeberi penerangan simple yet padat.
just a few jer yg lama PAS dpt memberi penerangan menyeluruh ...
keep it up YB take care
I ask these political gurus to go the ground, do some actual volunteer work or participate in any cause with any of these parties then pass judgement on who you can or cannot trust.Wearing a red band to work and reading Malaysiakini every 2 hours does not constitute activism.
For me, PAS should be proud of what they are doing and learn how to put out argument base on facts rather than circumstantial as shown here this respond. PAS need to be less emotional and defensive when people started to be critical on them and trust me as time goes by, we will see this more and more...
Just more anti-PAS propaganda on Mkini.
Tks for responding but these issues has been addressed many times.
If PKR is truly so "race blind" why din it put a Chinese as Mentri Besar.
Jokes aside, that's irrelevant, I feel the reality does demand a Malay to ensure people dun go overboard. Maybe in the future, we will see a non-Malay but even this is premised on the racist assumption that a non-Malay will be more qualified.
It's truly a great sacrifice that PAS has made. And I as a rakyat, really appreciate it.
I shall respond to the letter later too in my blog, after dinner.
Sekian.
Melihat kpd comments yg diberi, sy sbg rakyat selangor merasa terharu dgn respon yg diberi. Sedar atau tidak, bila beza latarbelakang, maka berbezalah opinion yg di utarakan.. bila berbeza umur juga kadang kala berbeza pendapat mungkin kerana pengalaman dan pengetahuan - sebagainya..
tetapi sedar atau tidak, apa sebenarnya yg PAS perjuangkan hingga ada aktivis itu kerah tenaga dan keringat utk pertahankan apa? ... PAS! Kerana yg diperjuangkan adalah Aqidah yg satu.. tiada lain.
Dengan niat yg satu, IKHLAS kerana Allah, hanya itu kata semangat dan azimat serta wala' pada pimpinan utk terus bangun melawan BN-UMNO yg terus terusan menindas rakyat Malaysia.
Kami disini memberi sokongan padu pada aktivis ini, termasuk lah YB Khalid.. Go Go.. Insya'allah Allah Always with U..
Just do the right thing with the right way...
Go YB.. Go!
N-
This is also very clear in your response, and I am pleased that a growing number of people are prepared at least to consider this view.
But I find it very difficult to agree to any meaningful extent with the sentiments of Anon November 11, 2008 4:53 AM. If our present and future actions should be evaluated in the light of (sometimes distant) history, then there is very little hope for any of us unless we achieve universal homogeneity.
I am prepared to accept the possibility that the reason for heterogeneity in God's Creation is that we shall, perhaps one day, learn from each other instead of seek endlessly to suppress that which differs from ourselves.