KUALA LUMPUR - Naming a non-Muslim as a special officer to PAS’ first ever assemblyman in Sabah – Aliakbar Gulasan – is nothing more than an attempt to save the party’s already feeble reputation in the Borneo state, say political observers.
Analysts believe the move is unlikely to change the sentiments of those on the ground towards the Islamist outfit.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun noted that there has been a tremendous backlash against Aliakbar’s nomination in Sabah, and that the appointment of a Christian as an officer to the state rep would do little to change things.
“A somewhat cosmetic move in appointing this willing collaborator would be the least that PAS could do to salvage the present image crisis in Sabah.
“But this politically expedient move is unlikely to endear the party to Sabahans beyond its traditional small radical base in the short term,” he told The Vibes yesterday.
Aliakbar was among six individuals nominated for appointment as Sabah assemblymen on October 8, despite his party PAS not contesting a single seat in the recently concluded state elections.
The move was widely condemned, particularly by the middle-class citizens there, and the Christian community, with many believing PAS’ brand of politics unsuitable and could be harmful to the state.
Aliakbar appointed Herman Obi – a Christian member of Sabah PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP) – as his special officer in charge of interracial relations, on October 11.
PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad defended Obi’s appointment, saying it shows that the party embraces racial and religious differences, contrary to the widely held belief that it is a “tyrannical” party that oppresses non-Muslims.
Oh said despite Obi’s appointment, it remains to be seen how the party tries again to appeal to the non-Malays, and spreads its wings beyond its traditional base following the demise of its former PAS leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in February 2015.
“It is not the first time that PAS has attempted to temperate its religiously supremacist outlook.
“Under Nik Aziz, they became more moderate and were thus widely accepted by non-Muslims. But since Nik Aziz’s demise, the party has once again radicalised itself,” he said.
Meanwhile, University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute Prof Dr James Chin said PAS’s decision to appoint a Christian was “all just for show” having come under constant attack by Sabahans after the party made its way into the state assembly for the first time.
Like Oh, Chin also does not believe the move will have any significant, positive impact on PAS.
“People will just laugh at them. The Christian community will say Obi is a traitor, while the middle class Sabahans will be saying that PAS is just playing propaganda,” he said.
Regardless, Chin said Aliakbar’s nomination into the state assembly will be welcomed by PAS, having spent years on the sidelines of the East Malaysian state’s politics. - The Vibes, October 13, 2020
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