PAS determined to recover Malay support

The Islamist party kicked off its campaign this morning with its 'National Convention for Race Empowerment - PAS' Guarantee' in Shah Alam where top party leaders briefed some 700 participants on their policies and agendas.

But mainly to set the record straight after what they termed were 'incessant attacks on it from the mainstream media', one by one, PAS leaders took to the stage to rubbish Umno and BN's policies.

"Recently, there have been a lot of lies, spread by those irresponsible parties, saying that Malay and bumiputera rights are being threatened under the Pakatan Rakyat state governments.

"But to answer these wild allegations, the main reason of the convention today is to also expose and undress the treachery by Umno and BN against Malay and bumiputera interests," said PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar (above).

Setting the agenda as the convention chairperson, Mahfuz accused
Umno and the BN of having gradually but consistently eroded Malay rights protected under the federal constitution.

He also insisted that today's function was not to incite taksub
(fanaticism) over the situation of only Malays, but to uphold the federal constitution and to support racial harmony irrespective of race and religious beliefs.

"PAS' commitment to racial unity has been very clear, despite our
efforts in defending the special positions of Malays and bumiputera,"
he said.

'Mainstream media stumbling block' 

Despite all the pomp and ceremony, the event attended by many Pakatan heavyweights including PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz
Nik Mat, president Abdul Hadi Awang and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, it was undeniable that the party's reputation had received a battering amongst Malay voters.

With BN parties ridiculing PAS' credibility among the Malays and Muslims for cooperating with Pakatan Rakyat - specifically the secular DAP - PAS has been battling a perception problem worsened by the state-run mainstream media.

And it has shown.

Support for PAS had been steadily declining in the past few
by-elections, starting from Manek Urai, to Galas and Tenang.

The Manek Urai polls saw a dip in PAS' winning majority
from 1,352 to a slim 65 and its failure to retain Galas, while the Malay-majority polling districts in the Tenang state seat saw reduced support for Pakatan Rakyat.

According to Abdul Hadi, it is the mainstream media that has been the biggest obstacle in PAS' uphill task of repairing that perception.

"The mainstream media owned by Umno and the BN have been attacking PAS very other day, saying that we are no longer steadfast in our Islamic struggles.

"We were also accused of being too soft in defending our principles
for the sake of harmony in Pakatan Rakyat," said the PAS president.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Despite the seemingly Herculean task, political analyst Wong Chin Huat said reckons that there is still hope for PAS, but not where many would assume it to be.

In his presentation, Wong pointed out that although Malay support for PAS had decreased, the non-Malay voter support has strengthened, as evidenced by the results of the Tenang polls.

"The zero-sum game mentality is that if PAS does not have Malay-Muslim support, it would've lost its raison d'etre, should be discarded.

"Because if PAS keeps on fighting for the exclusive rights on just one
race, or one religion, then it would appear that it is not too much
different from Umno once the Islamic layers are shed," he said.

Weighing in on the same concerns, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also said that Pakatan should take the bull by its horns and confront the 'ketuanan Melayu' issue once and for all.

"Pakatan should unite to face the Malay issues. The risks may be big but so are the returns. We have to constantly propagate our dogma to confront 'ketuanan Melayu' and then eliminate Umno's influence.

"Although we don't know what will result from this, but it is a crossroad which we have to come to eventually," he said.

By the looks of it, PAS is already there.

In their attempt to consolidate their resolve, the party came up with 12 resolutions to serve as the party's stand on Malay rights.

"PAS will continue to fight for the displaced and the poor, of which the bulk are Malays and bumiputera," said the declaration.

At the same time, however, PAS will also fight for "a needs-based affirmative action which is appropriate with the Islamic concept of justice."

"PAS will defend vernacular education which has given the opportunity for the existence of religious schools, madrasah and sekolah pondok; and at the same time will not neglect the national integration element absorbed in the education system," said Mahfuz when reading out the resolutions.