ABDUL RAZAK AHMAD
New Straits Times
The opposition party is capitalising on issues affecting religion. Is it the end of its attempts to portray a moderate image to non-Muslims? ABDUL RAZAK AHMAD finds out.
PAS central committee member Dr Hatta Ramli has been at the front line of many a Pas street demonstration, so he freely admits he?s got more ken than the average angry protester.
But that did little to prepare him for Beirut.
Dr Hatta was assigned to the war-torn Lebanese capital on a recent fact-finding trip. He was welcomed on arrival by the ground-shaking explosions of battle. It got him wondering what he?d gotten himself into.
"We?re not men of war. It was a challenge to keep our spirits up," says Hatta, a doctor who jokingly suspects his bosses keep sending him to the front lines, "because they think I?ve got nothing better to do."
Instead of getting on the next plane home, Dr Hatta and other Pas officials in the delegation that included youth chief Salahuddin Ayub gritted their teeth and stayed on.
They had a job to do: Establish a medical base to channel RM3 million in aid, and pave the way for the eventual arrival of party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang with a team of medics.
More importantly, they were there to prove a point: That Pas could make a meaningful contribution when taking up the strong feelings the country?s Muslims have on issues concerning Islam, of which there has been no shortage lately either abroad or at home.
Here lies a potential pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that Pas seems to have discovered of late. The party, whitewashed in the 2004 polls, is now led by a team of urbane younger leaders. It?s re-branded itself as inclusive and moderate ? as concerned over the voters? bread-and-butter concerns as it is about Islam.
But the Lebanese conflict and heated debate at home ? on issues ranging from the opposition to an inter-faith commission to the interpretation of Article 11 of the Constitution on freedom of religion ? is proving irresistible for the Islamist party.
"The current debate (on Islam) involves strong, emotional issues felt by many Muslims in this country, issues that form a basic part of their identity," says Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre, which conducts opinion polls, including one used by Pas in its 2004 general election post-mortem.
How far will Pas turn up the volume on Islam to gain maximum impact on Malay voters? Will they do this at the expense of a push to project a moderate inclusive image to non-Muslims?
Pas, says Ibrahim, knows it doesn?t have enough time to get close enough to non-Muslims before the next general election, due by early 2009. What the party can do instead is move closer to the middle of the Malay political spectrum, where these issues resonate strongly.
Dr Hatta explains that while fuel price increases got a "hot" initial reception from the public, "it?s not been getting more popular".
"But Palestine, Lebanon and the position of Islam are ?evergreen? topics; feelings are strong in villages and cities. It cuts across the whole of Muslim society in the country."
The observation isn?t lost on party deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa.
"In all the ceramah and dialogue sessions I?ve been to, most are eager to know our position. I?ve also noticed how a lot of those turning up don?t normally attend our functions; the ?undecided? voters, for example," he says.
The results of a recent survey on the country?s Muslims conducted by the Merdeka Centre are also perking Pas? interest. The survey, done for Associate Professor Patricia Martinez from Universiti Malaya?s Asia-Europe Institute, polled 1,000 respondents.
Among the results: 70 per cent of respondents identified themselves as Muslim first, then Malaysian, and only then Malay. Ibrahim cautions against generalising the results, which show a complex picture.
"But the survey does appear to reflect why the level of concern for the current issues is high. It shows religiosity taking a higher priority over Malayness. These results, for Pas, are quite significant signals," says Nasharuddin.
"We?re already making preparations to come closer to this demography," he adds. The question is how.
The party will be cautious. Several Pas officials, disturbed by some of the more excessive views floating about, have emphasised that constitutional issues are something the party needed to tread cautiously on.
"We are not about to exploit the issues at the expense of national unity, and we will support all moves to resolve the matter carefully," says party secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar.
"For as long as all sides can stick to a proper interpretation of the Constitution and what it says about Islam, then it?s enough to maintain the longstanding mutual respect we all have for each other," says youth chief Salahuddin.
Pas? engagement policy with non-Muslims ? which has seen party officials attending functions and dialogues with Chinese groups, holding pop concerts and other outreach activities for youths ? is also not backtracking, argues Dr Hatta.
"Pas? stand on Islam is not separated from our policy. If we engage others, then it is to foster greater understanding. Engagement is not about us giving up principles."
But some feel that trying to go both ways at once is not going to work.
"The dilemma for Pas is that if it persuades voters along the lines of being defenders of the faith, then it?s going to alienate non-Muslims, and they know this," says political scientist Professor Datuk Syed Ahmad Hussein from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
"Or does Pas face these issues as problems of Muslims in a multi-racial society that require a resolution that respects all sides and that does not lead to animosity?"
Pas, notes Syed Ahmad, has always tended to adjust its emphasis on being "defenders" of Islam in different general elections. The 1999 general election was the one notable example where "Pas, for the first time, virtually set aside their Islamic State agenda".
Instead, they took on a line developed around the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issue at the time ? good governance and multi-racialism. But they never really pursued this agenda. After their fallout with the DAP, Pas retreated to its comfort zone, right back to pushing its Islamic State to the forefront.
"This is where they?ve been entrenched until quite recently. So the issue with Pas now is how they are to remain ?vanguards? of the faith while at same time not alienating the non-Muslims," says Syed Ahmad.
Party leaders insist their outreach policy to gain more non-Muslim support isn?t going to be toned down.
Kamaruddin says a "critical" announcement ? the formal approval for an idea to allow non-Muslims to contest under the Pas ticket in the next general election ? is imminent.
It remains to be seen which issues Pas will champion in the next general election. One certainty is that the emergence of controversial and heated issues on religion both in the country and abroad will affect how Pas squares off in the polls.
"If current trends hold, it?s going to be harder for any political party to appeal based just on Malay or even national interests alone when vying for the support of the community," says Ibrahim.
"Appealing to the community is likely going to mean appealing more and more to the Islamic part of their identity," he says.
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