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At the most basic level, it is possible to challenge even the overall understanding we have about who won and who lost.P119 DATUK JOHARI ABDUL GHANI will gain in terms of vote , which means that as a proportion of their existing vote share,. If we were to, for the sake of simplicity, argue that choice of voters translated most directly into P119 DATUK JOHARI ABDUL GHANI vote share, outcome, mediated by many other variables, then one could actually make the case when it comes need for youth and freshness, as pointed to by Norman Fernandez triumphant performance it is far from clear as to what role it played in the choice of voters. The need to build a larger narrative that explains the current outcome in popular terms leads to an overplaying of HUDUD role played by PAS. If the need for youth was so paramount then surely It is also interesting how muted the reaction to visibility and presumed effectiveness during the election campaign PARACHUTED CANDIDATE AHMAD ZAMRI whose CHARM DIDN’T WORK
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One would imagine that there is nothing more real or sobering than election results for nothing makes reality more naked than hard cold numbers. And yet, because it is so difficult to disaggregate election results and tease out different strands of influences at work, what tends to happen is that the results serve to reinforce existing positions rather than act as a wake-up call for the parties in question. DAP should not cheat on the non-muslims against Islamic syariah and comes clean on HUDUD law!
NORMAN FERNANDEZ is not in danger of the sack, which may well be what he wants given his roiling discontent against the party and his perception that DAP has lost its way. AND RISK ITS FUTURE WITH PAS
to contend that identity politics has finally run its course and that the voter is now seeking real governance. In spite of attempts to garner the Muslim vote, it appears that there is no longer any such vote bank that transfers its vote en bloc to a single party. As an election plank, most agree that PAS is dead, and it is argued that PAS politics too is beginning to play an ever diminishing role in the electoral outcome. Of course, the opposite too can and has been inferred from the same results. Only those parties with a core constituency have any hope of winning power; the incremental votes can come from considerations other than identity but without a large dependable voter base, the task of collecting votes from different constituencies might prove to be unviable. The performance of the national parties that do not have this base seems to bear out this contention, particularly when we speak of state elections. Following through with this argument, it could be said that if anything, it is the national parties that will strive harder to find voting blocs using identity as a planks, sitting pretty on established bases will find it profitable to contest on a plank of better governance. Again the flailing attempts by PAS to shore up the minority vote might well be evidence of this.
Norman Fernandez
As in 1999 when PAS was part of a coalition known as Barisan Alternatif, despite agreeing to a common election manifesto went on to issue a separate manifesto which among others promised the creation of an Islamic state and the implementation of hudud.
In the end, the issue of Islamic state and hudud became an contentious issue among the then partners of Barisan Alternatif which also included DAP. Finally, DAP unable to accept the unilateral stand of PAS left the coalition which in no time unraveled and died a political death.
It would seem that PAS has learned very little from its action of the past. Once again being a coalition partner of Pakatan Rakyat, and again during election time is muscling in its own agendawith utter contempt and disregard for the common manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat.
The insistence and open pronouncement of its unilateral stand will once again come to haunt PAS and non-muslims now knowing of PAS agenda must decide if they want to gamble and risk their future with PAS.
PAS has made the implementation of hudud as its holy grail. Despite assuring non-muslims that hudud will not be applied and applicable to non-muslims, PAS leaders such as Dato’ Hadi Awang has obviously forgotten that he is on record stating that non-muslims will also be subjected to hudud.
On July 7, Dato’ Hadi Awang who as the Menteri Besar of Terengganu when winding up the debate on the Shariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Bill in the Terengganu state assembly declared that “when the time comes, hudud and qisas law will be extended to non-muslims“. This declaration is the clearest stand that non-muslims will also be subjected to hudud, despite now PAS relentlessly trying to assure and appease non-muslims. Non-Muslims must ask one single question – can we trust PAS and entrust our votes for them.
PAS sensing power, is now going beyond hudud. Datuk Husam Musa, the vice-president of PAS isnow saying that should PAS take over Putrajaya, they will change the weekend from Sunday to Friday. This latest pronouncement is just another example of PAS acting unilaterally having scant regards for its Pakatan Rakyat partners, its common manifesto and having complete disregard for practical realities of the country and to a state like Johor.
In Johor, the Johor PAS continuous to maintain an elegant silence and have thus far has failed and refused to make a open and clear stand if it supports the imposition of hudud in Johor and if it will change the weekend from Sunday to Friday. In Johor, Johoreans including me as a voter, have a right to demand that Johor PAS state their stand.
What is certain is that PAS is clearly insistent and hell-bent in imposing its own values, idealism and policies on others and in truth despite the various overtures to non-muslims cares two hoots about non-muslims or the feelings of non-muslims.
Remember the declaration of the PAS Information Chief, Suhaizan Kayat who said that Muslims are forbidden to wish Christians merry Christmas. Incidentally, this warped zealot is standing as the PAS candidate in the mixed constituency of Simpang Renggam and Kempas, where he hopes to garner non-muslim votes.
PAS unilateral stand and the deep reluctance to be a true partner in Pakatan Rakyat and the unwillingness to subscribe to the ideals of Pakatan Rakyat let alone agree and accept the common manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat must be enough to convince non-Muslims the grave danger of risking their votes for PAS.
Non-muslims must realise that PAS will do what it has set out to do if it gains power. The question for non-muslims is whether non-muslims are prepared to risk it all with PAS. Johoreans and particularly non-muslims must think hard and deep if PAS is really worthy of their votes.That is not to argue that no meaningful and objective analysis of election results is possible but merely that what passes for analysis in the immediate aftermath of the election results is often nothing but a form of self-justifying wish fulfilment on the part of all concerned. The media seeks grand explanations that collapse the local complexity of elections into a global feel-good story while individual parties strive to tell themselves that nothing needs to change at a fundamental level; the problem is possible to explain away using local variables.
The real question that the elections throw up might well have to do the state of leadership in India today. It appears that the need for strong local leaders cuts across parties. Wherever, at the state level we see strong local leadership, we find that the party in question, be it regional or national seems to be in good shape. The challenge for national parties, particularly in states with strong presence of regional forces, is to build credible and empowered local leaders. But in the magic mirror called election results, it seems that we can all see exactly what we want to see.
I for one have finally made up my mind and am convinced that PAS do not deserve my vote.
Norman Fernandez
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