Fate of Selangor in the balance

The PAS grassroots will be pushing for a ‘divorce’ from PKR but there is a lot at stake for the party in the state and its top leadership is having second thoughts.

PAS grassroots pushing for a divorce from PKR.

THE PAS election is turning out to be a dream election for Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and the outcome will likely produce another dream team for him – people who are 100% supportive of his Islamic vision.

The PAS president and his deputy Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man have retained their posts unopposed and there has been none of the fierce campaigning seen in the last party polls in 2015.

It should be a smooth ride for Hadi when he presides over the party muktamar in Alor Setar next week except for a big road bump ahead.

The party grassroots are all fired up to “divorce” PKR but the top leadership is apparently having second thoughts about a breakup. There is too much at stake, especially in Selangor, and the leadership is believed to be rethinking the move.

A top party official hinted that a decision on this may be made at a special central committee meeting on the evening before the muktamar begins.

It seems to be a case of politics imitating life – the marriage is broken but there is a lot at stake and it looks like the out-of-love couple may stay together for the sake of the children and the assets involved.

At the heart of this political dilemma is the PAS control of the mosques and surau in Selangor.

PAS members and supporters are now in control of the committees that manage and run mosques and surau in the state.

This is very important to the party as it gives them the moral authority over the Malay voters and is key to their clout and influence. Apart from that, there are several hundred posts for municipal councillor, penghulu and ketua kampung that are held by PAS supporters.

In fact, the importance of all these posts far outweigh the three state executive councillor posts held by Datuk Iskandar Samad, Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Zaidy Abdul Talib.

The fear is that if the party exits the Selangor government, it will open the door for their mortal enemy Amanah to come in and fill the vacancies. That would go against their plan to stamp out Amanah in the general election before it becomes stronger.

The headache for the leadership is how to rationalise this to the delegates from other states where there is little to lose from cutting off ties. The break-up mood is very strong and a party source said that the motion on the “divorce” may be allowed to proceed.

However, PAS’ ties with PKR fall under the party’s tahaluf siasi or political cooperation policy and any change has to go through the Syura Council, which is the highest decision-making body of the party.

The delegates may endorse a “divorce” but the Syura Council will have the last say.

The survival of the Selangor government is literally in the hands of the ulama.

Danger lies ahead. A “divorce” would mean that Pakatan Harapan will be a mere two seats away from falling over the cliff in Selangor.

Pakatan will be holding on to the 56-seat state assembly with just a simple majority comprising DAP with 14 seats, PKR 13 and Amanah two.

The opposition would comprise 13 seats by PAS, 12 by Umno and two independents.

The voices in PAS calling for a “divorce” want to show this is exactly what will happen to Pakatan in the general election without the Malay support that PAS brings in.

Their aim is to tell the Pakatan people not to be arrogant and to treat PAS with more respect. Their claim is that even if every Chinese in Selangor votes for Pakatan, the coalition cannot form a strong government without the help and support of PAS.

Apparently, another reason why the PAS leadership is rethinking a break-up is because it does not want to be seen as disrespecting the Sultan of Selangor.

The Sultan has on past occasions conveyed to them in private that he wants PAS to remain in the state government because that is the mandate from the people. He had made a similar call during the opening of the recent state assembly sitting.

The Sultan has come to trust PAS, especially Hadi, who gave his full cooperation to the palace during the Mentri Besar crisis two years ago.

In fact, one of the key achievements of the PAS leadership in the last two decades has been in winning the trust and respect of the Malay Rulers.

The Malay Rulers did not always feel so comfortable with PAS especially during the early years. The suspicion was that PAS was leaning towards an Islamic republic.

But all that is now in the past as PAS has shown that it is a loyal subject of the King.

Moreover, it is DAP that PAS has irreconcilable differences with.

The PAS leaders are actually quite close to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali who treats them as an equal partner.

All these factors will be in play at the PAS muktamar where the fate of the Selangor government lies in the balance.