Opting Out of Pakatan

Okay, I've lost the depression.  Most of it anyway.

Spent the last 36 hours in isolation, sewing a brand new baju kurung.  That was supposed to be my Baju Raya but I wasn't motivated to finish it in time, so it will now be my Baju Hari Kebangsaan.

For some reason, sewing always calms me down.  That's why I always have my sewing basket handy, and to visit Kamdar regularly to stock up on fabrics.

But I digress.

The reason I am posting so soon is because I read Helen's latest posting here about a TMI editorial piece.  (As a rule, I don't read TMI as a source for reliable information - too gossipy, largely unverified innuendos, and an opposition slant too obvious that it insults my intelligence.)

Helen has always been a good motivating factor for me to write about what little I know of politics .. heh

1.   I agree with Helen - TMI's "analysis" was a desperate attempt to intimidate PAS to stay within the Pakatan fold.

With almost 90% of Chinese votes, all of PAS Islamist Malays votes and whatever hotch-potch liberal urbanites under the banner of PKR and PSM, Pakatan failed to win Putrajaya in 2013.

PAS also lost Kedah.

In GE13, PAS was the biggest loser, while DAP the biggest winner.

The fact that they have already captured as much Chinese support as they can possibly capture, DAP need PAS to retain sufficient Malay support in winning urban mixed constituencies that would have gone either way.

With the confrontational biadapness of the DAP supporters and Christian evangelists, I would be surprised if PR would be able to garner more support from the Malays in these constituencies without PAS, even if they were to field their collection of "awek cun" Barbie dolls as candidates.

So PAS must be compelled to stay in Pakatan to maintain access to Peninsular mosques and suraus, while they concentrate their efforts to penetrate new rural base through Christian evangelism in Sabah and Sarawak churches.

Once Sabah and Sarawak have been sufficiently penetrated, and their Barbie collection are sufficiently accepted by the drooling Malay masses, PAS would readily be kicked out.

2.   Staying in Pakatan is harmful to PAS and will eventually reduce it to a mosquito party.

If PAS were to stay in Pakatan, their support base among the Malay Muslims will gradually be eroded because they are seen to have lost their Islamic conservatism which was their defining identity.

Along the way, PAS seem to have lost their ultra-Islamist credence whenever they are faced down by PKR and DAP, while their vitriol seems to be reserved for everything Umno; not even Umno's non-Muslim coalition partners get the kind of hatred that they heap on Umno.

DAP's arrogance and condescending attitude towards PAS doesn't help either.

PAS' seeming deference, almost subservient attitude, to the ultra-liberal PKR and ultra-chauvinist DAP in matters pertaining to what are deemed (by Malay Muslims) as affecting the sanctity of Islam is a turn-off to young Muslim professionals and the undecided Malays who feel "maruah Melayu dan Islam sedang dicabar".

Now PAS is neither truly Islamist, nor are they nationalist, and they can't compare to PKR when it comes to liberalism and multi-culturism ...

As it is now, I see ISMA as having a stronger political will than PAS to provide the needed check and balance to Umno's commitment, or lack of it, to the betterment of the ummah while defending Islam and Malay interests from DAP and Christian evangelism aggression.

I had a chat with a chap who was a PAS totok while waiting for a flight to Dubai not long ago, and he somehow inadvertently expressed his disappointment "entahla, sekarang ni generally yang biru tua macam lebih islamik dari yang hijau - if things don't change, I may just stay at home next election ..."

So that's my 2 sen ...