CAN HADI DELIVER T’GANU & FOR WHOM – NAJIB OR PAS: IN HADI’S HOMESTATE, PAS SEES UMNO AS A ‘FRIEND’ DESPITE PROMISES TO FIGHT UMNO & HARAPAN IN GE14

KUALA LUMPUR — There are no permanent enemies in politics, and in a close-knit community like in Terengganu you are more than likely to be related to your political opponent.

Just ask PKR’s sole Terengganu assemblyman, Azan Ismail. He believed whatever bad blood between PAS and Pakatan Harapan after the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat just does not have any trickledown effect on politics in the east coast state.

“Every state has their own strategy, and in Terengganu, there are no significant changes in the political approach. Terengganu folks are almost the same, we can almost say they are relatives, even those in PAS,” Azan told Malay Mail Online.

The Bandar state assemblyman and Terengganu PKR chief claimed that whatever fallout and animosity publicly displayed between PAS and Pakatan Harapan leaders was not indicative of the reality in the state, and it is still very much a “PAS versus Umno” atmosphere here as the 14th general election draws closer day by day.

“In my case, I’m actually a cousin of the current Terengganu PAS commissioner,” Azan said referring to Datuk Husain Awang, and related that many leader from the Islamist party turned up to his open house for Hari Raya without any issue.

He painted a pretty picture for the state’s Opposition — consisting of PAS and PKR— which together hold 15 seats in the 32-seat Terengganu state legislative assembly, while Umno holds 17.

A change in government for GE14 is a possibility — if Umno were to lose a few more seats and if the opposition parties retain their current seats.

But this remains contingent on PAS working with PKR and other Pakatan Harapan parties, which include rivals from the splinter Parti Amanah Negara.

Azan felt that when the time for GE14 comes, PAS will somehow work out an understanding with Pakatan Harapan to contest against Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).

“There are clashes in politics, that is bound to happen. But Terengganu PAS has been consistent in saying that they will work in making sure BN loses here. There is still room for cooperation,” he explained.

PAS going it alone under Gagasan Sejahtera

But Azan’s optimism on reparation of the state Opposition’s fractious ties seemed somewhat misplaced, as Terengganu PAS has said that while it intends to contest against Umno/BN, it will only do so via its Gagasan Sejahtera coalition, and not with PKR or Pakatan Harapan.

“I think there is a small effect to PAS after Pakatan Rakyat broke up, but it is not lasting. PAS has contested in multi-cornered fights before and this election will be no different,” former Terengganu PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat told Malay Mail Online.

He claimed that other opposition parties are in disarray — many PKR members in Terengganu were leaving the party to join Umno offshoot Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), while Amanah is struggling to make its presence felt in the state.

Added with Umno’s past leadership squabbles between Terengganu mentri besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman and his predecessor Datuk Seri Ahmad Said, Satiful claimed PAS remains the only viable party with a strong leadership and experience in the state.

“The best choice for voters is PAS. If Kelantan is ‘serambi Mekah’, then Terengganu is ‘serambi Madinah.’ Ultimately it boils down to either PAS or Umno, as the Malays who form the majority of the people in the state will choose between the two parties,” Satiful said, recalling Kelantan’s old status as the gateway to Mecca, a holy site for Muslims.

For Umno, PAS a ‘friend’, Pakatan Harapan the ‘enemy’

But Umno leaders in the state are confident that their old foes in PAS may just turn out to be allies in GE14, and that the latter have been practicing “mature politics” and a indicating a readiness to work with BN on issues pertaining to Islam and the Malay community.

“PAS and Umno now are like friends, but not husband and wife just yet,” Hulu Besut Umno division chief Nawi Mohamad told Malay Mail Online.

“But nothing is impossible. Before this we couldn’t even sit together…now we can,” the Hulu Besut state assemblyman added.

Marang Umno division chief A Latiff Awang believed that the current PAS leadership is more “realistic” and open to forming ties with the Malay nationalist party.

“We don’t deny that there is a relationship [now] between PAS and Umno for the benefit of the people and the Malay community, we’ve sat together in functions.

“We see PAS now as being able to accept Umno’s values and policies, there is a similarity in our goals,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The Terengganu state executive councillor also said that Umno’s state leadership has always been “stable”, and that previous issues between Ahmad Razif and Ahmad Said were just “misunderstandings”.

PAS no longer an opposition party

But for Amanah’s Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah, his former party PAS is no longer behaving as an opposition party in the state.

The Kuala Terengganu MP accused PAS of indirectly supporting Umno, and by not raising issues in the state legislative assembly and supporting the leadership of MB Razif.

“PAS is no longer serious in taking over Terengganu now, PAS just wants to be a spoiler to help Umno win, they just want to be a kingmaker and want Umno to go to them for support,” Raja Kamarul told Malay Mail Online.

The Terengganu Amanah chief claimed that many PAS supporters who were once hostile to Amanah leaders for the leaving the Islamist party are now “much friendlier”, as they have become disillusioned with PAS’s friendship with Umno.

“There are currently 20,000 Amanah members in Terengganu, 70 per cent are former PAS members.

“It is not impossible for Pakatan Harapan to win Terengganu. In 1999 people voted for PAS here, but in 2004 they voted Umno back… if there is one thing we’ve learned from the people of Terengganu, is that they are willing to make drastic changes when needed,” he explained.

The Amanah leader said that while seat allocations between Pakatan Harapan parties have yet to be finalised, his party will likely contest PAS seats while PPBM might contest some Umno seats in the state.

ANN

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✍ Sumber Pautan : ☕ Malaysia Chronicle

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