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Friday November 6, 2009

Seminar a good start to healing rift

ANALYSIS By JOCELINE TAN


SOME think the PAS political seminar tomorrow will be a non-event, a sort of anti-climax to the rift between the two top ulama in the party.

They say the party is trying to down-play the split between its spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, and those taking part in the debate may be told not to stoke the fires.

Others expect heated discussions because PAS delegates are independent and will not be controlled on what to say or not to say. Besides, vice-president Salahuddin Ayob, who is the organising secretary for the event, has promised that delegates will be free to speak their minds.

Moreover, supporters of Hadi are still furious with Nik Aziz for asking their man to step down. This group, labelled the “Terengganu gang,” may use the seminar to defend Hadi and slam Nik Aziz.

Hadi and Nik Aziz have since put up a united front. They have posed for the media shaking hands, eating satay at the same table, whispering into each others’ ears and even sharing manly hugs.

But the divide between them and between their supporters is all too real. The progressive group is clustered around Nik Aziz while the more conservative group is gathered behind Hadi.

Nik Aziz has been very unhappy for some time with Hadi and several other key leaders for pursuing a unity government with Umno.

According to Nik Aziz’s political secretary Annual Bakhri Haron, the last straw was when a group of Chinese supporters told Nik Aziz that Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, the Selangor PAS chief, was driving away non-Malay supporters with his ultra behaviour.

Then, he read the no-holds-barred analysis on PAS by law lecturer Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari in a Malay daily and everything sort of came together; he took to his blog and rocked the party.

The only good thing going for the party is that the membership on the ground is intact.

They are still largely unaware of how inept their president is and how unprepared he is for coalition politics, much less, the prospect of federal power.

His flip-flop stands on the issue of a unity government with Umno is a case in point.

Hadi’s lack of leadership has caused him to be easily influenced by the circle around him. Those familiar with him have even taken to describing him as the “Pak Lah of PAS,” a nice gentleman but a less than capable leader.

In an obvious slight to Hadi’s leadership, central committee member and syariah lawyer Hanipa Maidin reminisced in his blog about the wisdom of their late and much loved president Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor.

Hadi’s reluctance to act against Dr Hasan’s intransigence was another sign of weak leadership. Yet Dr Hasan has done much damage to the Selangor government and its relations with non-Muslims and moderate Malays.

Saturday’s seminar is a compromise of the extraordinary general meeting that Nik Aziz had originally wanted.

But it is still an important forum to air views and grievances.

Even the famous spiritual healer Datuk Dr Haron Din, who is still recovering from minor heart surgery, said he would attend.

The seminar is to enlighten party members on how the public perceive PAS and what it stands for.

“We have to realise how other people look at us, identify our weaknesses and try to overcome them. We must be able to manage public perception if we want their support,” said Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

The theme of the seminar is, “To empower and strengthen our role in Pakatan Rakyat for the next general election,” and the gathering will likely reiterate its commitment to the coalition.

“We have to take a clear stand to cut off any deals or talks with Umno and abandon the unity government idea. This will clear confusion among members and misunderstanding between our leaders,” said central committee member Dr Mujahid Yusof.

Making pledges is the easy part. The tough part is keeping the promise and implementing it.

But it is tougher to have the political will to take disciplinary action against elements who have damaged the image of and support for PAS and Pakatan.

And even if all that is done, it will still take time for the rift to heal between the party’s top two leaders and their supporters.

But, said Mujahid, the seminar is the first step towards that.

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