There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them.
— Winston Churchill, British wartime prime minister
Apart from the deteriorating situation in the ongoing Middle East conflict, perhaps the other interesting story in the country in recent days is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement of inviting PAS to join the unity government in his interview with Time magazine.
The prime minister’s statement generated a lot of heat within political circles, probably encouraged by the wide and almost daily coverage of the subject by some media houses.
Getting a new partner and admitting the party into the government is no small matter. The unity government comprises a few coalitions and I believe all component parties must agree first before any new partner can be admitted.
Also, there is the question of whether the Anwar administration needs another ally, considering that it has the numbers already. A two-thirds majority was secured again following a pledge of support from an MP from the opposition Bersatu party.
I think that many will not encourage the prime minister to prioritise inviting PAS to join the government at this point in time as there is no hurry to do so.
The Madani government is stable as it is. Coalition leaders in the government, including Umno, MCA, the Borneo blocs of GPS and GRS and recently, MIC, have all pledged their support to Anwar and the unity government until GE16 in 2027.
I want to believe that these politicians will honour their word. No, I’m aware that many politicians are not honourable or trustworthy people but somehow, I think that the current crop in the government have no choice but to stay put. As I’ve always said — the other side is not an option for Malaysia, and they know it too.
When the news first surfaced a few days ago, I thought it was something new and that Anwar has invited PAS to join his Madani government only in recent days.
But that was not the case. The prime minister has clarified that he was actually referring to the invitation he offered to PAS soon after the general election last November.
That was something most of us were aware of. Abiding by the royal decree for the establishment of a unity government after GE15, Anwar had not only invited PAS but the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition as a whole.
It was PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who defied the king’s decree for a unity government and he chose to let his PN coalition sit in the opposition side in Parliament. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang followed suit and rejected Anwar’s offer.
Whether the prime minister intends to re-invite PAS to join the government again or not, only Anwar himself knows. But he should be advised to obtain the consent of all his coalition partners first, failing which he can expect a lot of discontentment and disgruntlement from within his ranks.
Understandably, the non-Malay/Muslim parties in the Madani government are not keen to see PAS as a partner.
Sarawak’s Progressive Democratic Party president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was the most vocal voice from within the government against the move.
Tiong, also a federal minister, put it up straight: “The unity government does not need PAS to join, because many feel uneasy (with PAS), they can’t accept PAS, especially non-Muslims. PAS is “too extremist” and seemingly ignored that Malaysia is a multiracial and multireligious country”.
In a video on Facebook, Tiong also expressed support for non-Muslims who were concerned with PAS. He hoped that the matter of PAS joining the government should not be hyped up further.
Not surprisingly, the minister’s remarks received a groundswell of support from non-Malays, such as this reader who wrote in a national news portal: “Tiong King Sing has emerged as a lone voice speaking up for the rest of us in this ‘unity’ government. Looks like one Tiong is more effective than 40 DAP reps. We are lucky he is in the cabinet.”
I have said this before and let me repeat. Tiong might be seen as a maverick and at times, out of place as a legislator and minister but if he does his job well and dares to speak up when things are not right, he will get my support.
To me, ministers and politicians who choose to keep quiet and “play safe” all the time are mere self-serving opportunists who do not deserve to hold any post in the government.
If you were to ask me whether I would want PAS in the unity government, let me give a honest answer. Say, to choose between PAS and Bersatu, I would prefer PAS to join the government.
PAS, for all its flaws, is consistent, at least with its religious fervour. It is the devil we know and I can live with that.
On the other hand, Bersatu is a party of political schemers and traitors. All of them seem to be doing nothing except thinking and scheming of how to bring down the unity government.
Anwar and his partners should stay far away from Bersatu, if they know what’s good for them. Remember Sheraton 1.0, we can certainly do without Sheraton 2.0!
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
