Umno-PAS a devil that you already know
PUCHONG: The Umno – PAS alliance that was formalised via Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah last week is good for its opponents, Pakatan Harapan and Malaysia because it is a devil that you know, said political commentator, Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi in a commentary piece published by Sin Chew Jit Poh.
“The Umno-PAS alliance is good simply because these two parties have been sleeping together outside of wedlock for several years already and now they have decided to make themselves an ‘honest’ and ‘halal’ union. No surprise there. Why should Malaysians be frightened?
“These two have been using the same race and religion strategy for so long. It is doubtful that they would change their strategies as they have now a huge willing audience in the well to do middle class and the poor kampong folks.”
He however cautioned Malaysians over out of the box tactics that may be used by both Malay-Muslim parties.
He further added that the alliance was flawed since it put former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the current party chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the spotlight with PAS instead of moderate leaders such as deputy president Mohamad Hasan and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.
“Zahid and Najib are two leaders who have been accused of massive corruption and if their cases are speeded up and they are found guilty, then PAS and Umno will be shouldering what the Malays called ‘memikul biawak hidup’.”
Tajuddin noted the Umno-PAS alliance is bad news for Bersatu.
“With Najib and Zahid at the helm, Umno has counter attacked by suing several MPs for jumping. Bersatu’s plan to be the big brother has dashed with Umno-PAS becoming a potent dragon that can even engulf Bersatu’s small following. PPBM has no history, no ideology and no grass roots as opposed to the Umno-PAS entity. The realignment of political forces are now in a shambles and needs to be rethought.”
Tajudin who is professor of architecture also offered four solutions to over come the myriad of racial and religious issues that would be raised via Umno-PAS alliance.
The first solution was offered to DAP, that represents majority of the non-Malay non-Muslim crowd.
“The first is to tell DAP to refrain from making any more statements about the Malays and Islam. Even the Malays in DAP should also be advised total restraint.
“For my analysis, DAP is the single most important fuel for the narrative of race and religious hatred used by Umno-PAS.
“If, one day, DAP decides to disband and filter into two Malay based parties, Umno-PAS would be totally devastated as their favorite, bogeyman, punching bag and ‘hantu’ of the Malays is gone.”
He also offered a step for non – Malay and non Muslims to tackle the issue at hand.
“Secondly, peace loving non-Malays should never…never ever…make any public statement on Islam or the Malay issues without forging a joint statement with multi-racial civil society and moderate thinking Malays.
“Although the moderate Malay groups are small in numbers but this would create the statement as a Malaysian concern and not one ethnic fight.”
He also called upon the non-Malay communities to practice compassion to the Malay communities.
“Thirdly is the practice of compassion. When there are issues of disasters and financial crisis that hits the Malay communities, Malaysians must come out in force to help. I had asked the non-Malays to help the predicament of Utusan and Bernama workers but it was not taken up.
“Had the clarion for help been answered, it would have changed the political landscape and narrative of Umno-PAS.”
The final solution that he raised was addressed to Pakatan Harapan. He urged the federal government to allocate funds to retrain Islamic scholars in a bid to curb growing Islamism.
“The fourth and by far the most important suggestion I have is one that has been totally ignored time and again by the PH government. I had called for a RM100 million yearly budget to retrain 1500 religious scholars overseas on subjects other than Islam.
“These 1500 ustazs must be asked to take Master courses in Anthropology, Mass Communication, Comparative Religion, Arts, Architecture, Philosophy, Western History and even World Theology.
“They must be sent to far off places inhabited by a small minority of Muslims which forces them to feel like a minority and become more sensitive to the needs of non-Muslims.
“Only the ustazs can change the conservative and extremist mindsets of the Malays. We could also send academics with their first two degrees not in Islam to take up PhDs in Islamic studies again in western countries where there is an extreme minority of Muslims.
“When these people return after one year or three years, they must be sent to all the mosques as teachers of the new moderate Islam. This is the only formula for change. Nothing else can.
“It only costs us money of one or two billion ringgit but if it were ignored, the cost would be an escalating extremist Islam as a legacy for our children, their children and their children’s children.”
