The opposition’s dilemma
The Pakatan-PPBM alliance has to start getting ready for GE14, but it may not be a good idea to move on without PAS.
With rumours swirling ever more vigorously that the general election is coming sooner than expected, it’s not surprising that former premier Mahathir Mohamad is anxious to have PAS decide quickly whether it will work with the opposition alliance to defeat Barisan Nasional.
It’s already obvious that Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will work with Pakatan Harapan and the alliance needs to start getting its head in the game. It cannot afford to entertain PAS’s dilly dallying on its position for much longer.
It is no secret that the alliance would rather work with PAS than against it. The Pakatan parties, as well as PPBM, have said that without PAS with them, three-cornered fights would be hard to avoid and with split votes it is always Barisan Nasional that wins.
Pakatan and PPBM are therefore faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, they need PAS. On the other, time is running short and it may not be wise to wait too long for PAS to make up its mind.
If anything can be learned from the recent past, a dilemma like this has a tendency to fracture Pakatan. Perhaps DAP and Amanah will insist that it’s time to move on and perhaps PKR will refuse to do so until PAS makes up its mind. If that is the case, then PKR will have to step up its game in convincing the Islamist party to work with the coalition. In this, it will probably have the support of PPBM President Muhyiddin Yassin.
Since even before PPBM’s establishment, Muhyiddin has been working hard to get PAS on board but so far his efforts have borne little fruit because of PAS’ adamant refusal to work with DAP and Amanah.
In October, Muhyiddin claimed that he had a good meeting with PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang on the subject of a cooperation between opposition parties.
Muhyiddin has also said the results of his discussions with all parties gave him confidence that the general election would see mostly one-to-one fights.
But then, we saw how cosy Prime Minister Najib Razak and Hadi were with each other at yesterday’s solidarity rally for the Rohingya.
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Only time will tell whether the opposition alliance will move on with or without PAS. What is certain is that it needs to come to a decision quickly.