PN excluded PAS to appease Bersatu grassroots - analyst

SABAH POLLS | One of the biggest surprises in the Sabah polls so far has been the exclusion of PAS from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah lineup, despite the Islamic party having publicly appealed for the right to field 10 candidates.

For Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) geostrategist Azmi Hassan, the decision has a lot less to do with the party's reputation or brand, but it was a tactical manoeuvre by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to shore up support for himself and Perikatan Nasional.

"It only shows how PN is looking at the critical need for Muhyiddin to garner support, especially from Sabah Bersatu.

"It has nothing to do with the conservativeness of PAS or the recent Bible issue. But if PN were to give a chance to PAS, even sparing one seat, this would surely upset Sabah Bersatu members and thus affect PN's stability," Azmi said.

Muhyiddin currently has the support of at least 113 MPs in Parliament of whom six are currently Sabah Bersatu members.

Had PAS been fielded in the Sabah election, it would likely mean Sabah Bersatu and Sabah Umno would have to cede the rights to field some candidates, since all three parties appeal to the same Muslim base.

Although PAS' top brass had issued statements explaining the matter to the party grassroots, Azmi believes that their trust in the PN coalition would have no doubt been put under stress.

James Chin (above), who is a professor of Asian studies at University of Tasmania and an expert on East Malaysian politics, said PN probably left PAS out because of pragmatism.

"PAS has always done very badly in Sabah, and they know if they take part or not, they amount to nothing.

"So, in this case, because BN and PN are contesting, they have been squeezed out. In other words, if they had contested there, they would lose all their seats there as well," Chin told Malaysiakini.

Unlike Azmi, Chin does not believe that this episode would sour ties between PAS and PN parties, because Sabah Bersatu and Sabah Umno are the main players in the state.

"PAS is only a sideshow," he said.

Azmi, Chin and Universiti Utara Malaysia's associate professor Azizuddin Mohd Sani told Malaysiakini that the decision to leave out PAS had nothing to do with a PAS MP's inflammatory remark about the Bible, since the party was already unpopular in Sabah, to begin with.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah's senior lecturer in the Communication Department, Lee Kuok Tiung, believes that the Bible remark would have an impact had PAS been fielded, as Sabah has a substantial Christian population.

"It can be one of the hot issues, as surely Warisan and its allies would play it up.

"We can see that now, with Warisan using the word 'Unity' as the keyword in their campaign," he said. - Mkini

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