“Knowing that PAS may shut down gaming outlets and ban alcoholic drinks, will Gerakan continue to ‘play dumb’ if PN comes to power?”
Stylish and savvy Bersatu youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal may be a man adept at wearing many different hats; but it looks like this time around he may be compelled to wear one that he may not feel that comfortable with - being a “peacemaker!”
With his party constantly coming under some form of indirect pressure from its increasingly dominant Perikatan Nasional coalition partner PAS following the “defection” of six of its MPs, the UK-educated Machang MP has appeared to have changed tack.
In a recent interview Wan Fayhsal who is often lambasted by critics for being “too vocal”, had called for cooling down of the temperature in the ongoing heated verbal spat between PN coalition partners PAS and Gerakan; this is over the controversial funding issue for Chinese vernacular schools involving beer companies!
In fact, Wan Fayhsal, a former deputy national unity minister who is known more for his “gung ho” approach like in the BlackRock brouhaha, had even “volunteered” to help find ways to heal the rift between PAS and Gerakan; he has maintained that the bitter row between the two coalition partners is nothing more than a difference in opinion that has been blown out of proportion.
Is the PAS-Gerakan feud just a storm in the tea cup… or is there a serious ideological mismatch?
Wan Fayhsal then went on to stress that PN needed Gerakan because it represented a multiracial coalition, adding that it is not a far right, Islamist, xenophobic or extremist entity!
He also “highlighted” that PN is for everyone and that PAS will agree with him on that aspect; he further asserted that it is normal in any family to have arguments between siblings.
Furthermore, considering the serious difference in opinion between the two partners which has inadvertently exposed the deep fissures within the coalition, Wan Fayhsal had vowed to address and resolve the conflict via proper channels.
For the record, the PAS-Gerakan squabble was sparked by the latter's president Dominic Lau who commented last week that the education ministry should not restrict fundraising activities by certain companies in Chinese schools since the federal government did not allocate sufficient funding for vernacular schools.
Lau had openly voiced his opinion following the Cabinet’s decision recently to maintain the existing guidelines on activities and donations for schools, which among others clearly stated that fundraising events for schools should not involve the display or promotion of alcohol.
This had then prompted PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari to slam Gerakan, pointing out that the party’s official stance on the issue of donations to schools from alcohol proceeds was very disappointing.
Not mincing words, the firebrand Pasir Mas MP had stressed that if Gerakan maintained its position on the issue of sponsorship for Chinese schools involving alcohol companies, then PAS may not want to work with it in the next general election!
The matter then took another twist when a visibly annoyed Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong later responded to Fadhli, saying his party would not hesitate to quit PN if its coalition allies continue to display religious extremism and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.
However, PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah would have none of the “threats” and told Oh that PAS would not stand in the multiracial party’s way if it decides to exit PN; in fact another PAS strongman Sanusi Md Nor, who is also the Kedah menteri besar had brushed off Gerakan’s threats, saying that the party is welcome to leave the opposition coalition whenever it wishes.
The truth is, the ongoing PAS-Gerakan conflict may be reflective of the current situation in the country where growing religious conservatism and the clash of cultures is posing a significant threat to the social cohesion in a nation which prides itself as a model multiracial country.
In fact, such embarrassing “open spats” is also rampant in PM Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling unity government where “right wing” elements in Umno often clash with its non-Malay partners, as was manifested by the uproar over bak kut teh, Unesco recognition for Chinese new villages and the KK Super Mart boycott, to name just three flashpoints; even the latest hoo-ha over the funding of vernacular schools by breweries did not spare the Madani government with Umno and DAP still at loggerheads over the matter.
Against this backdrop, it’s hard to see Wan Fayhsal the Bersatu youth chief, or any of his senior colleagues, finding any long term solution for the conflict between his coalition partners PAS and Gerakan; this is because where there is a clash of religious beliefs or culture, there is no magic panacea except for the warring parties to step back and compromise.
“Will the conflict really be ‘settled’ or will it just be a temporary reprieve for Gerakan before the axe finally falls…?"
It looks like, for the sake of its own political survival, Gerakan may have no alternative but to eventually “surrender” to PAS' demands; after all, the latter is unlikely to budge from its hardline stance on sensitive religious issues.
Furthermore, with the Islamist party growing in popularity, it may already have written off the multiracial Gerakan as somewhat “surplus to requirements”; however, for Bersatu there may be more riding on the entire issue, including the niggling fear that one day it may also suffer… a similar fate?
Information source: FMT and YouTube KiniTV
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