The open criticisms hurled at Gerakan president and Penang Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Dominic Lau by Penang PAS delegates are more than just a local squabble. They reveal the deep power struggle within PN, one that could serve as a stark warning for MCA and MIC should they consider joining the coalition.
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At PAS’s muktamar, delegate Hafis Alias accused Lau of neglecting the coalition’s 11 PAS and Bersatu assemblymen, calling his leadership weak and disconnected. He further pointed to Lau’s defeat in Bayan Lepas - once a stronghold for PAS - as evidence of misplaced strategy. Hafis went so far as to insist that only Malay candidates should contest in Penang’s 15 Malay-majority constituencies, effectively sidelining Gerakan’s ambitions.
The message was blunt: Gerakan has no meaningful place in PN’s Malay-majority agenda. Hafis even ridiculed Lau by praising PAS’s non-Muslim supporters’ wing, claiming they were “more courageous than Gerakan” for being willing to contest in non-Malay-majority seats.
The attacks did not come from Hafis alone. A PAS ulama delegate likened PN under Lau to a Ferrari with “the steering wheel in the wrong hands,” urging that Lau be replaced as Penang PN chief. These remarks highlight not just dissatisfaction, but an underlying sentiment within PAS: that Gerakan is dispensable.
Lau has tried to defend Gerakan, arguing that the party continues to play an active role as a check and balance against the DAP-led Penang government. Yet, his reassurances have failed to quiet critics, exposing Gerakan’s fragile standing in a coalition dominated by PAS’s majoritarian politics.
For MCA and MIC, these developments are telling. If Gerakan - once a respected multiracial partner in Barisan Nasional - is now openly mocked and marginalized in PN, what confidence can MCA or MIC have that their voices will be respected? PAS’s insistence on fielding Malay candidates in Malay-majority seats reveals the coalition’s priorities, leaving little room for minority-based parties to thrive - especially MCA and MIC, which have long depended on Malay votes to win elections within Barisan Nasional.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang may downplay the issue as an “internal matter,” but the optics are clear. When a coalition partner becomes the subject of repeated, public attacks, it signals a hierarchy where smaller parties risk being trampled by bigger players.
For MCA and MIC, the episode in Penang is not just about Lau and Gerakan: it is a glimpse into their own possible future in PN. The question is whether they are willing to enter a coalition where their role might be reduced to symbolic participation, rather than genuine partnership.
By: Kpost
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