Former Sabah Pakatan reps face hostile reception

By Roy Goh THREE assemblymen will be seated with different views when the Sabah 2014 Budget is presented at the state legislative assembly this Friday.

After their unceremonious departure recently, they will not be sitting with the opposition Pakatan line-up and surely not with Barisan Nasional backbenchers.

Despite claiming to be government or BN-friendly independents, Hiew King Chiu, Jelani Hamdan and Jeremy Malajad will be on their own.

How they plan to support BN is anybody's guess, but they can expect a hostile reception from Pakatan lawmakers.

Hiew was the first to leave DAP in September, followed by Jeremy and Jelani from PKR on different days last week.

This sparked strong protests from the parties they represented in the May 5 general election this year, apart from showing cracks in the loose alliance. It also exposed undelivered promises that were eventually used by the trio as part of their excuse to leave the opposition pact.

Following the election, Pakatan reasoned it needed to provide greater recognition to Kadazandusun leaders to hold on to its support in Sabah. Leaders from the community were promised key positions but were left out.

Former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin was made Sabah PKR chief and opposition leader in the state assembly. Hiew disagreed, however, on how Lajim was picked as the leader while Jelani and Jeremy felt the Kadazandusuns were marginalised by PKR.

Pakatan is now left with eight assemblymen -- five from PKR and three from DAP. Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitin BN can also make do without the three independents as they still command a big majority or 48 of the 60 seats in the state assembly.

Some of the BN component parties would not be too excited if their coalition partners roped in any of the three under their wing.

Hiew was Kota Kinabalu member of parliament after the 2008 general election and Luyang assemblyman after May 5, defeating candidates from PBS and MCA respectively.

Jeremy, the Kadamaian assemblyman, was with Upko but jumped ship to PKR to contest against PBS incumbent Herbert Timbun Lagadan.

As for Jelani, who was once a rising star in Umno before being suspended for money politics, his return to BN would likely not be welcomed. PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili made it clear recently when he said BN would need to be wary of their intentions.

"Direct acceptance of opposition representatives into a BN component party is essentially party hopping and unprincipled political behaviour.

"It is gratifying that members of the opposition and their elected representatives have realised that only BN can deliver for the people. PBS welcomes new BN supporters but, as a principle, it prefers to be cautious of elected representatives who have jumped parties.

"It is important to know if those who left the opposition were sincere in their actions," said Ongkili, who is also Kota Marudu MP.

As a rule, former BN members who contested for the opposition could not be accepted without full consent from coalition members.

Upko secretary-general Datuk Donald Mojuntin said it was only fair for the coalition partners that were affected in the elections.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had lambasted the three party hoppers and blamed the BN for enttheir respective parties.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, however, said Anwar should look within the opposition alliance before pointing fingers at others.

"There are certain leaders in Pakatan who have come to realise that to stay on with the coalition would be futile.

"They are moving on to serve their constituencies. Instead of blaming others for its weaknesses, Pakatan should examine itself."

Read more: Former Sabah Pakatan reps face hostile reception - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/former-sabah-pakatan-reps-face-hostile-reception-1.399132#ixzz2kUQazgcI

Pas pays price for political exigency

 By Zainul Arifin Md Isa  | zainul@nst.com.my

IT would be rather mean to suggest that Pas has sold its soul in its pursuit of political goals. Nevertheless, it would not be too off the mark to suggest that it has compromised its raison d'etre in politics, which is the setting up of a theocratic state.

At least for now, it eschews being overtly religious in the public sphere, perhaps leaving the brimstone and fire to party meetings.

Perhaps it is the case of the end justifying the means -- Pas 2.0 in the 21st century has surprisingly adopted pragmatism beyond what was expected a couple of decades ago when its leaders declared an edict of apostasy against Umno for working with "infidels" via Barisan Nasional (BN).

Present-day Pas seems more at ease moving with the flow of realpolitik -- it is more likely to link arms with its infidels in DAP, for instance, than to sit at the same table with fellow Muslims from Umno.

This rather amphibious political duality -- the pursuit of an Islamic state and yet in bed with DAP whose leader suggests that it would be over his dead body for it to happen -- is almost gravity defying in its ability to adapt and prosper.

For its leader, it is a rather amazing political dexterity, and for, its supporters, the ability to suppress idealism for political exigency.

This political high-wire act began in earnest perhaps four elections ago, when it rode the wave of reformasi following the sacking and arrest of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Such pragmatism has been fruitful these past few elections, but in the last polls, it emerged poorer among the Pakatan trio that included DAP and PKR. In the battle of who rules the roost in Pakatan, it came out short against DAP.

While DAP, for instance, galvanised Chinese voters to overwhelmingly vote against returning BN, Pas seemed to have lost what it might have cherished the most -- its Islamic credentials. Suddenly, its dalliance with Pakatan turned it into just another political party.

Its heavenly pursuit compromised by its earthly desires?

Among many Malay Muslims, Pas is a sort of fallback party -- if one is a Muslim, one would work towards the advancement of Islam. While Umno was born out of nationalism, Pas professed Islam to be its reason for being.

Over the years, however, Umno has embellished its Islamic credentials -- it now works on Agama, Bangsa dan Negara or Islam, Malay/Bumiputera and Malaysia.

This brand of Umno politics is anchored to Islam, yet still pursuing development and progress of the ummah. This has proven to be effective in getting Malay and Malaysian support.

Pas' previous dogmatic religious stance made it rather inaccessible to non-Muslims, but recent-day pragmatism, especially starting with the general election of 1999, saw Pas warming up to other political parties, including to seemingly obvious incompatibles.

It began to warm up to PKR initially, and later with DAP. Its liaison with DAP is as unlikely as it is natural, especially with the common enemy of Umno and BN. But its dalliance with Pakatan is not without self-inflicted wounds.

There have been uneasiness among some members, especially when it switched its religious hat, keeping its hardcore politics in its back pocket, for one that is more appealing to the public.

Its on again-off again stand on the use of the word "Allah" for non-Muslims is also causing concern to some members.

In the last party election, it seemed that political exigency, or the prospect of Putrajaya, saw the ulamas pushed to the back for another group that seemed more cut from the political cloth.

These politicians have been described by many names, including the professionals, presumably as opposed to the theologians; the Erdogans, after  Turkey's prime minister; and Anwarinas, for their seeming affinity to Anwar.

At the end of this month, Pas will have yet another party election. By the reports going around, it is seen by some to be something like a referendum of its recent political pragmatism over its religious core.

The proxy battle would be for the post of deputy president where incumbent Mohamad Sabu, representing the professionals' corner, is up against  Mohd Nik Amar from the ulama' corner.

The ulama are said to be trying to recapture Pas' soul.

Read more: Pas pays price for political exigency - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/pas-pays-price-for-political-exigency-1.399136#ixzz2kUPsMhMU