What does it say about Madani govt if PAS joins? By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy

Malaysiakini : "Such questions are important before you want to evaluate us. Stop resorting to ‘kolot’ and ‘jumud’ narratives."

– Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim responding to PAS chief Abdul Hadi Awang

COMMENT | First of all, I have no idea why PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s narratives are considered “kolot” (old-fashioned) and “jumud” (backwards) when they are in fact racist.

It is not as if Hadi’s ideas on race relations and religious hegemony could be waved away as quaint or eccentric. The existential crisis facing this country is not corruption but religious extremism. 

So why is it that the prime minister feels the need to include PAS in this unity government? What does this say about unity in this country if PAS joins the government?

What does it say about this Madani government if a political party which routinely demonises non-Malays, goes against the wishes of the royal institutions, and has proclaimed itself as the gatekeeper of Islam, joins the government?

What does this say about DAP? Don’t get me wrong. DAP has demonstrated a willingness to work with anyone to get into power - I mean, to save Malaysia - so I doubt there would be any blowback from DAP or its supporters.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang

Hadi alleged that non-Malay representation in this unity government is detrimental to Malay supremacy.

Before Anwar secured a place in the Putrajaya hot seat, DAP supremo Anthony Loke said: “So I wish to put on record, as I said just now, on Nov 22, before Anwar went to Istana Negara, I told Anwar, as long as you can be prime minister, DAP is willing to sacrifice anything, that is my commitment to Anwar.

“So I placed my trust in Anwar, he did not agree for us to not enter the cabinet. He insisted DAP must be part of the government. I left it to him, the issue of number, the issue of composition. To me, that is the prime minister’s discretion, and as far as DAP is concerned, we place the country’s interests over the party’s interests.”

I get what Umno brings to the table and believe me, whatever they are bringing is fast fading with the war of attrition Perikatan Nasional is waging.

But what PAS has demonstrated, by being welcomed into the mainstream, is that its religious agenda is normalised in the eyes of the majority polity.

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