Why is Selangor menteri besar Azmin Ali still engaging with PAS? What can PKR possibly have in common with PAS under its president Hadi Awang? PAS has firmly established itself since the demise of Nik Aziz as a fundamentalist, radicalised, reactionary and exclusionary Islamic party that has now fully adopted the Umno  political ideology of Ketuanan Melayu and wrapped it in Islamic credentials simply in order to be seen as a viable partner not even alternative to Umno while hoping to retain its dwindling support among its core rural Malay/Muslim voter base.

PAS’s only political role at present is to ensure that Umno remains in power if necessary with a PAS crutch in order to ensure Malay/Muslim dominance of the political system and to strengthen Islam in the country in the Wahhabi mould that inspired most of the PAS leadership. Umno of course wants to oblige PAS as a matter of political survival.

That is why the debate about enhancing Shariah laws, the gradual implementation of the Hudud, the empowerment of the Shariah courts and eventually creating a dual-legal system in the country for Muslims and non-Muslims is being encouraged by Umno and the Islamic religious authorities in the country. In this discourse Umno is not bothered about the erosion of our semi-secular Federal Constitution, the negation of fundamental freedoms and human rights and the overarching imposition of Islamic values, beliefs and practices on our way of life that not only impedes Muslims but interferes with non-Muslims as well and is gradually destroying our national identity, and even Malay culture and customs.

PKR always prided itself as a multi-racial, multi-religious centrist political party with liberal views on politics and the economy. Although, the PKR leadership is dominated by Malays, a political necessity given our demographics, the party has successfully projected a platform that appeals to middle Malaysia by not over-emphasising on race and religion while espousing the causes of other races and religions in a spirit of unity, acceptance and moderation.

The bane of PKR since its inception in 1999 has been the inability of the senior leadership including Anwar Ibrahim to completely disavow and distance the party from the Umno mind-set and the desire to obtain and retain power at all costs. Sometimes, in the eagerness to seek power various factions within the party are willing to sacrifice integrity and principle for the sake of political expediency. PKR like most political parties in Malaysia is riddled with factionalism but unlike other parties that are successful in keeping a lid on it through strong leadership, PKR suffers from weak and indecisive leadership because of Anwar’s prolonged incarceration and the inability of Wan Azizah Ismail and her daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar to steer the party away from fratricide caused by various competing interests within the party centred around Azmin Ali and Rafizi Ramli, their surrogates and proxies.

Very often public service within the PKR is confused with publicity and as a result party discipline suffers. Unlike the DAP and even the nascent Bersatu (PPBM), PKR sufferers from endemic weak grassroots organisation and mobility. That is why Azmin still hopes for an electoral pact with PAS because he fears PKR on its own cannot mobilise the semi-urban Malay voter base. In the last two general elections even in Selangor, PKR depended largely on PAS to deliver the Malay votes in crucial marginal semi-urban or semi-rural seats.

But what Azmin has failed to appreciate is the strong presence of Bersatu under the leadership of Mahathir Mohamad who has caught the attention of Malay voters from every segment and has galvanised support for Pakatan Harapan (PH) even in once safe Umno seats. Within Umno there is an increasing realisation that with Mahathir as the visible leader and face of the Opposition, the next general election is going to be a tough fight and a close call. Among the older generation of Umno members and those in their 50s and 40s who owe their political futures and economic success to Mahathir there is still a sense of loyalty and gratitude to the father of modern Malay nationalism and progress. These Umno members are going to secretly cast their ballots for PH or abstain from voting for Umno/BN.

This will spell trouble for Umno/BN under prime minister Mohd Najib Razak who despite his huge financial resources, incumbency and all the trappings of state power and authority, is still unable to overcome his integrity deficit and the stigma of suspicion over the 1MDB scandal and his perceived mismanagement of the economy that has precipitated the introduction of the GST which has impacted the lives of every income group but most notably the Malay middle class and the lower income earners who include Umno’s traditional voter base namely the civil servants, teachers, pensioners, army, police, small and medium businesses and petty traders.

PKR like the DAP ought to be lynchpins of PH while Bersatu and Amanah being newer political parties but entirely Malay dominated should be allowed to take the lead in challenging Umnoi and PAS in their own traditional seats. Despite PAS repeatedly slamming the door at PH and Bersatu, Azmin is still hoping for the impossible while seeming duplicitous. Mahathir is absolutely right to tell PAS to get lost now that the party has become an appendage to Umno and a lifeline to Najib. PH has made it clear that PAS is a lost cause and deserves to face the same fate as Umno at the hand of the voters. So why is Azmin still trying to persuade if not convert them to his point of view? To all and sundry it seems futile at best and self-serving at worst.

Is Azmin not confident of his own track record as menteri besar and PKR’s two term helm of the state government that is widely regarded as a success by voters in Selangor? Even if PAS achieved something credible in Selangor it was entirely due to the support and endorsement of PKR and the DAP.

Selangor being the most industrialised and urbanised state in the country with incomes and a standard of living equivalent to any advanced Western country, has a highly educated and well informed voter base. Internet penetration is the highest in Selangor and alternative news portals and web sites are well accessed and read on a regular basis.

The sophisticated voters in Selangor including those in semi-urban and semi-rural seats including Malay/Muslims are not enamoured by PAS’s version of Islam and its penchant for condemning everybody else as deviant and non-conformist. These are moderate Muslims with a healthy respect and understanding of living in a multi-racial society while retaining their religious piety. These Muslim voters have no inclination to support the public whipping and caning of offenders in the name of Islam like some medieval spectacle while PAS defends and condones the corruption, abuses and kleptocracy of the Umno government. For them Islam at its core is about mercy and compassion and not the PAS obsession with form and judgment like what is being advocated by the Taliban and Islamic State resulting in Islam being associated with violence and intolerance.

In Selangor, it is obvious from PAS’s public statements that it wants to contest 42 state seats other than those held by Umno and Independents sympathetic to Umno/BN. So where is the room for compromise? It is obvious that to PAS, PH is their biggest enemy because the Opposition is perceived to be a threat to the PAS Islamic agenda whereas Umno is simply a misguided Muslim party that can still be converted to the true path through the wisdom and knowledge of PAS leaders.

There can be no doubt that in Selangor, PAS is insidiously working with Umno to seize the state from PH. Therefore, it is beguiling that Azmin still wants to work with PAS and for what? Just to remain as menteri besar? The office of menteri besar has not been gifted to Azmin. It is the right of the voters to decide and for the Sultan to approve. What is more important is securing the state for PH and advancing the march to capture the federal government. Azmin is behaving like a petty provincial politician rather than a national leader for the PH and PKR.

It is time that PKR stop this mollycoddling of PAS and declare its full support for PH and its position on PAS. If there is to be three or four cornered fights in Selangor during the next general election, so be it. Leave the choice to the wisdom of the voters and to their judgment of the current state government. Even if PH is defeated in the elections let it be a defeat with honour. With their pyrrhic victory PAS can sail into oblivion with Umno at the helm.

Gerard Lourdesamy is a lawyer in practice for 25 years and a former PKR member.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.