Can we trust Malay political parties?
Ahmad Mustapha Hassan Comments On UMNO's Malay Unity Overtures And Sounds A Warning to PAS

Essentially, there are only two Malay based political parties. And there is also one other political party which is multi-ethnic and multi-racial but Malay led.

UMNO which has been in power for the last fifty years is based on ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ or Malay supremacy. Although it rules the country with the support of other non-Malay political parties but in reality, it is the party in power. The others simply accept what UMNO dictates. It is led by a  feudal and pseudo capitalist group.

Then there is PAS which controls the north eastern state of Kelantan. It is led by Islamic religious leaders and it is based on ‘Ketuanan Islam’ or Islamic supremacy. It now rules Kedah as well under the partnership of Pakatan Rakyat.

 The multi-racial party with Malay leadership is the PKR. It is led by those who realised that the country has been misruled for far too long. It is based on ‘Ketuanan Rakyat’ or people’s supremacy. It is able, with the co-operation of the Chinese-based party DAP and PAS, to capture four states in the last general election.

At one time, after the debacle of 1969, PAS joined the government as a junior partner. The leaders were given posts in the then government and the coalition became known as Barisan Nasional or the National Front.

UMNO during that period of time when the Barisan Nasional was formed felt that the unity in the country was paramount. It also felt that there should be accord between these two Malay political parties, UMNO and PAS. Development and the achievement of progress for all especially the Malays could only materialise in a peaceful atmosphere and within an understanding environment. The government was akin to a national unity government.

UMNO as is well known throughout its history is a party that likes to be supreme among the Malays and must at any cost annihilate any challenge that can pose a threat to that status. PAS would not last long in this partnership. It was unceremoniously kicked out in 1978

From that date on the Malays were represented by these two political rivals.

PAS however managed to dominate the Malays in the east coast and was able to wrest control of Kelantan state from Barisan Nasional. It also managed to off and on administer the state of Terengganu.

UMNO always feels that its supremacy among the Malays must never be threatened. It already managed to stop the tide of expansion of PAS in the west coast and had become very arrogant in its style of governing the country. It is convinced that the Malays will never ever desert the party. It believes that UMNO and the Malays are one.

Most Malays are emotional and very irrational. These groups look at all issues with blinkered eyes. Everything is ‘ketuanan Malayu’. These are the old Malays who know very little of other communities and their cultures. They still consider these other Malaysians as ‘foreigners’. They still live in their own archaic world. These are the UMNO diehards.

PAS, the one time ally of UMNO, had worked hard and had managed to infiltrate the Malay heartland in the west coast. It also managed to attract the sympathy and understanding of some non Malays. It formed fan clubs consisting of non Malays as members.

Through the leadership of PKR, it aligned itself to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which included the Chinese based DAP.

UMNO which was very badly mauled during the last general election was now in a state of panic. It could not rely on its coalition partners to get the non Malay voters to vote for the UMNO candidates. The non Malays and also the Malays had abandoned Barisan Nasional. All the non Malay coalition partners in the Barisan Nasional except those in Sabah and Sarawak were almost wiped out.

The ‘ketuanan Melayu’ foundation in UMNO began to play its role. It made overtures to PAS and tried to convince PAS that Malay unity must be fostered. UMNO has always liked to step backwards instead of forward whenever it is confronted with a crisis and a challenge. It more or less abandoned its coalition allies. It refused to heed or accept the comments and criticisms of its so called partners.

It refused to accept the blame that it was its leadership that had caused the enormous political setback to the Barisan Nasional.

PAS should not fall into UMNO’s trap. There are elements in PAS that also believe in ‘ketuanan Melayu’. But the leadership should be on guard for UMNO is full of treachery. PAS should always bear in mind the saying:  ‘once bitten twice shy.’

Those in PAS that do not want to face reality will definitely fall into UMNO’s trap. Emotion can play havoc in the mind and will obliterate rationality. Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural and a multi religious country. Article 153 of the Constitution has nothing to do with ‘ketuanan Melayu’. All have accepted article 153.

Only UMNO raised the bogey that this article is under threat and from the look on Pak Lah’s face, he is happy that the bait that UMNO has put out is attracting some PAS leaders. A few PAS leaders had already scrambled to meet him.

Please bear in mind that UMNO had done nothing to implement the spirit and need of Article 153 since it came to power. It only thought of this article whenever it lost the confidence of the electorate.

PAS will face a backslide from its supporters and sympathisers if it supports this unity talk by UMNO. The work that they had put in would have come to naught. 

There are enlightened groups in PAS that want to move forward and not backward as done by those who favoured this unity approach.

UMNO’s leadership is fond of lying in order to retain power and all one needs to do is to open one’s eyes and see what is happening to the country. The country is facing a very bleak future with the current government which is helmed by UMNO. Unity talk will not remedy this current situation.

UMNO had already shown that it could not be trusted. Let us hope PAS too will not fall into the same category.

The voters, Malays as well as non-Malays, have given their votes to PAS believing that PAS is a progressive party that is looking ahead for the future of the country and nation. They believe that PAS wants a clean government free of nepotism, cronyism and corruption.

Do not betray this trust!

Contact this e-mail address for further clarifications concerning Orient Rewards.
muphy.orientrewards@gmail.com

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan

23th July, 2008

The author writes a weekly column on Wednesdays on his blog site : www.unmakingmalaysia.com feedback can be sent to: mdmoes@gmail.com

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