PAS, where art thou heading to?

I can certainly agree with this article:

PAS losing out in Pakatan, say analysts
January 17, 2011


KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — PAS will not be able to pursue the Islamic state agenda through Pakatan Rakyat as it is strongly opposed by the DAP, said political analysts. Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Terengganu political science lecturer Asri Salleh said PAS would be a political casualty in the alliance if it continue to pursue the agenda.


“While the DAP has been outspoken against the idea, the PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) has yet to state its stand on whether it is supporting the agenda. So PAS is forced to compromise its struggle to support the common agenda of the opposition.


“As such, it is better for PAS to be outside the alliance. Otherwise it is feared that it will eventually be in disarray,” he told Bernama here today.


On January 9, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was reported as saying that the party would pursue the Islamic state agenda and would not bow to pressure from members of the alliance.


However, in his blog the next day, Abdul Hadi denied the report and retorted that PAS would be the guardian of the trust entrusted to strengthen Islam as the official religion where changes made would be within the ambit of the constitution.


Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies director Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharudin, who also feel that PAS should leave the alliance, said off late PAS was seen to be distancing itself from the alliance in the wake of its foray on the Islamic state agenda.


“This is a sign that PAS wants to get out of the opposition alliance,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

He said the Islamic state stance was also aimed at testing the acceptance of PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the DAP.


“No harm done if PAS get out of the alliance. Discussions on Islamic state should be convened with a Malay party.


“If PAS is with Barisan Nasional, definitely it will be in a better position. In the opposition alliance, it doesn’t get anywhere. So it should think about the unity government again in the interests of the people,” he said. — Bernama

From 9th March 2008, I have always said that PAS's political objective are totally different from that of the dominant DAP and PKR in the loose Pakatan Rakyat. PAS's core struggle has always been to set up an Islamic State in Malaysia. 


Where PAS is not in the majority state Government like Pulau Pinang, Selangor and for a few months in Perak they have been bullied and treated like the odd man out in Pakatan.

PAS's call for an Islamic State has been treated with utter contempt by the likes of DAP's Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. What is the point of staying on in Pakatan when your influential political clout is not even acknowledged. How long does PAS wants to stay in  a Pakatan who has a de-facto leader in a man who has been convicted for abuse of power while he was Deputy PM of Malaysia and is currently facing a second sodomy charge which even the learned and well respected Mr Lee Kuan Yew believed to be true, apparently so true that the Singaporean shared the story with the Australian Government who then shared it with the American Government.

PAS is best on its own without merging with UMNO but it ought to join the Barisan Nasional where their party's view and political clout will be much more respected and acknowledged.

PAS has nothing to gain but plenty more humiliations by staying longer with the loose Pakatan coalition, BUT, it has everything to gain by joining the BN or even become Independent and just wait for the opportunity that comes along after the next election. They could become the third force which will have considerable clout when forming the next Government after PRU13.