PAS, DAP must explain ‘repositioning’ to members

Hawkeye

 | January 2, 2013

Leaders from both PAS and DAP must tackle better with each other's respective aspirations.

KOTA BARU: PAS and DAP grassroots will need more time to digest and take heed of their top leaders’ wishes to make their respective parties more appealing to the people, a PAS intellectual said recently.

Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad said PAS and DAP, prior to the landmark outcome of the 2008 general election, were positioned as leftist organisations rather than a people-centric or rightist one.

This, he said, was unlike Barisan Nasional, which came into existence as an independence movement supposedly representing the aspiration of every stakeholder in the country.

He noted that with the revelations of poor governance amid allegations of corruption, nepotism, cronyism and abuse of power over the years, the people had in 2008 decided to give both PAS and DAP a chance.

Therefore, there is a gravity pull by the people for PAS and DAP to position themselves more as centrist parties now.

“…one which is comfortable with the essence of governing and opposing too,” Dzulkefly said.

In the past, PAS and DAP had built a reputation as able opposition partners, but now the people’s wishes have seen otherwise.

PAS was comfortable in its Islamist world and policies for decades while DAP was seen as the voice of the marginalised and poor through its socialism and fight for equality, Dzulkefly said.

This, he added, had changed dramatically post-2008 as both were given the mandate to rule – PAS earned additional states in Kedah and Perak (which was later wrested by BN in a reverse takeover) besides Kelantan, while DAP won Penang.

Hence, the expectations towards both parties have changed too.

“DAP and PAS became governments. No longer just political parties and the learning curve is on for their ordinary members,” Dzulkefly said.

Distracted by internal issues

He was referring to what some quarters have described as a “major letdown” after both PAS and DAP completed their annual national gatherings in the last two months.

PAS raised eyebrows when some delegates insisted that hardliner party president Abdul Hadi Awang be appointed as prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat win this year’s looming general election.

This was followed by the controversy generated by Kelantan PAS’ local government by-laws when it disallowed female workers from cutting the hair of the male customers in the hair saloons there.

DAP in turn did not vote any of its eight Malay candidates into its 20-member central executive committee – the party’s top decision-making body – during its polls last month.

Weighing these factors in, Dzulkefly insisted that while both PAS and DAP are on the right track, it will take time to convince its grassroots members of the need to change to meet the people’s higher than usual expectations.

“It is clear that some sections of the grassroots have yet to subscribe into the top leadership’s suggestions that both PAS and DAP become centrist in the new age of Malaysian politics.”

The conventional wisdom out there is for PAS to drop its Islamist tendencies and for DAP to reflect a multi-ethnic line-up if both sides are to convince the people that they are ready to step into the shoes of BN, come the next election.

Dzulkefly also said that there is a need for leaders to deal better with the aspirations of the other parties, alluding to DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s frequent outbursts against PAS’ Islamist stance.

Distracted by internal issues

Meanwhile, outspoken Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak said both PAS and DAP are distracted by their own internal issues and have overlooked the fact that they are now entrusted to govern more than to oppose.

Rahmad said it was disheartening to see that both DAP and PAS cannot see eye-to-eye on fundamental policies such as hudud and the usage of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

“Let us hope that in 2013, our leaders gift us with a matured sense of leadership and focus on core issues gripping the country, such as the economy, our social policies such as affordable housing and dispensing justice fairly and swiftly.”