From Trauma to Transaction: PAS's Long Journey from Resistance to Reconciliation. Malaysian politics has long been a theatre of shifting loyalties, but few transformations are as striking as that of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). Today, as PAS and its former nemesis, UMNO, negotiate a zero-overlap seat arrangement for the August 2026 Negeri Sembilan state election, ideology appears secondary to electoral arithmetic. What was once an intensely bitter rivalry has evolved into a carefully managed political partnership.
To understand this remarkable reversal, one must revisit decades of state-sponsored isolation, unlikely alliances, and the gradual triumph of political pragmatism over principle.
The Era of Psychological Siege (1977–2007)
The defining trauma in PAS's modern history began in 1977. After briefly joining the Barisan Nasional coalition, PAS became embroiled in a political crisis over the Kelantan Menteri Besar position. The federal government declared a State of Emergency, suspended the state assembly, and expelled PAS from BN, sending the party into years of political isolation.
Over the following three decades, PAS supporters believed they faced systematic political and social marginalisation. Federal-controlled media portrayed the party as extremist, while PAS members were branded as Khawarij or religious deviants. In many rural communities, political rivalry evolved into painful social division, with separate mosques, burial grounds, and even boycotts of weddings and funerals.
The pressure extended beyond rhetoric. The 1985 Memali tragedy, in which 14 villagers and four police officers died, became a defining emotional scar for PAS supporters. The federal government's portrayal of the incident deepened the perception that PAS was being criminalised rather than politically challenged.
When PAS regained Kelantan in 1990 under Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the struggle shifted from political survival to economic hardship. PAS argued that the federal government withheld constitutional oil royalties and delayed infrastructure funding, leaving Kelantan chronically underdeveloped. Roads, water systems, and housing projects stagnated while critics blamed the state government for its shortcomings. For many PAS supporters, this reinforced the belief that their state was being punished for voting differently.
When the Rocket Landed on the Moon (2008–2015)
After decades of isolation, the formation of Pakatan Rakyat in 2008 represented an extraordinary political breakthrough. PAS, DAP, and PKR proved that ideological rivals could cooperate against a common opponent.
The partnership reached its symbolic peak before the 2013 General Election. When the Registrar of Societies threatened DAP's ability to contest under its Rocket logo, PAS prepared emergency authorisation for DAP candidates to contest using PAS's Moon symbol.
Nik Aziz immortalised the moment by declaring, "Akhirnya Roket Mendarat Di Bulan" ("Finally, the Rocket Lands on the Moon"). Although DAP eventually retained its own logo, the episode demonstrated an unprecedented level of trust between two parties long portrayed as irreconcilable enemies.
The Tommy Thomas Paradox
Perhaps the most remarkable partnership of this period involved Tok Guru Nik Aziz and constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas.
In 2010, determined to recover Kelantan's oil royalties, Nik Aziz bypassed traditional legal circles and appointed Thomas a non-Malay, non-Muslim constitutional lawyer to represent Kelantan in its legal battle against Petronas and the federal government.
The symbolism was profound. The spiritual leader of Malaysia's foremost Islamic party entrusted one of the country's leading constitutional lawyers to defend the economic rights of Kelantan's Malay-Muslim population. Thomas argued that oil royalties had been withheld after years of uninterrupted payments, causing significant financial losses to the state.
Yet politics shifted dramatically after Pakatan Harapan formed the federal government in 2018 and Thomas became Attorney General.
The same figure who had once defended Kelantan's interests soon became the target of fierce criticism from a newly aligned PAS-UMNO bloc. His earlier contribution faded from public memory, replaced by attacks centred on ethnicity and identity politics. The episode illustrated how rapidly political narratives can change when alliances evolve.
Power over Principles (2020–2026)
Following the Sheraton Move in 2020, Malaysian politics entered an era dominated by strategic calculation rather than ideological consistency.
PAS initially pursued Muafakat Nasional with UMNO but relations deteriorated after disagreements over Bersatu. Public accusations flew from both sides, with UMNO questioning PAS's reliability.
Those tensions, however, gradually gave way to renewed cooperation. The so-called "Johor Formula" demonstrated how disciplined vote transfers between PAS and UMNO could maximise electoral success without directly competing against each other.
That strategy now appears fully institutionalised ahead of the August 2026 Negeri Sembilan election. Under the proposed arrangement, UMNO contests 25 seats while PAS-led Perikatan Nasional contests 11, ensuring there is no direct clash between the two parties.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has defended the partnership as necessary for Malay unity against DAP, despite the party's earlier collaboration with DAP during the Pakatan Rakyat years. PAS has even indicated its willingness to support an UMNO Menteri Besar should their alliance secure victory.
Conclusion
The story of PAS from 1977 to 2026 is not simply one of changing alliances. It is a study of how political survival can reshape historical memory.
The party once driven into political isolation by UMNO now negotiates electoral seats with the same party. The movement that once accepted DAP as a trusted ally now portrays it as its principal adversary. The constitutional lawyer once celebrated for defending Kelantan's rights later became a symbol of political opposition.
None of these shifts erase the hardships endured during the decades of political conflict. Memali, the struggle over oil royalties, and the extraordinary solidarity of 2013 remain important chapters in Malaysia's political history. Yet as PAS and UMNO campaign side by side in Negeri Sembilan, those defining moments increasingly resemble distant memories overshadowed by the practical pursuit of electoral power.
Ultimately, the evolution of PAS reminds us that in Malaysian politics, yesterday's enemy can become today's indispensable partner. Principles may inspire movements, but power often determines their destination.
Annan Vaithegi writes on Malaysian politics, governance, history, and society. His columns explore the intersection of institutions, public policy, and the human stories that shape the nation's democratic journey.
Annan Vaithegi (annanvaithegi@icloud.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
