By: Dr Mana
I refer to the Malaysiakini report PAS' Dream Team - 'Nik Aziz, Nizar, Dr Asri'.
There is no dearth of credible leaders in PAS. It's just a matter of time before Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin and his contemporaries helm the party. The much respected leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat will remain as a unifying force and those who have 'strayed' from PAS will either be back in the fold or gradually be phased out. The general perception among supporters is after the maverick Nik Aziz, it would be the charismatic Nizar who would bring a shine to PAS. Nizar may not be an 'ulama' unlike Nik Aziz but he has the unique strength to draw people into his fold. He is a self-made man who grew up in politics with a low profile but the recent Perak debacle has turned him into an extremely popular figure in Malaysian politics.
Nizar's gift as a leader has been hailed by most leaders of other countries as well as those from within the country. Write-ups on this man have appeared in many major newspapers overseas. An engineer by profession, he speaks more than a few languages, quotes the Quran when necessary in his speeches and approaches Muslims and non-Muslims amicably. There is a high probability that Nizar will one day lead PAS and Pakatan Rakyat. This will bode well for Pakatan and the country. PAS has many leaders who are capable other than Nik Aziz and Nizar. If the former mufti of Perlis Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin were to join PAS, he would further fortify PAS and bring in more supporters to the party.Asri is another charismatic personality. His good judgment, wisdom and broad-mindedness when discussing issues on Islam have won the hearts of many non-Muslims. Asri is now an academic and unfortunately, not all academics have 'made it' in politics. In the case of Asri, however, he has the charisma and the right personality to become a good leader and politician if he decides to go into politics.
PAS has now grown up to be a sturdy political force well-liked by people of all races and religions in the country. Credit should be given to a far-sighted Nik Aziz who has all throughout his leadership displayed a 'strong character' in maintaining that the party should stick to its commitment in the Pakatan coalition. He has become a successful moderator to some of the extreme views articulated by some religious zealots. He has toned down PAS to become a political party well-accepted by the Malays, Chinese and Indians. PAS under Nik Aziz is a unique home-grown Islamic party that is willing to accommodate people of all races and religions. Its basic principle is to bring about justice and an apposite social order in our society 'in a religious or morally accepted way'. No where in the world could we see an Islamic party that has evolved into becoming a well- accepted entity and highly regarded by people of all races and religions.
The history, culture and the social fabric of Malaysians have toned PAS down that they now see the reality of Malaysian politics. PAS has achieved this and it will further succeed with credible leaders like Nik Aziz, Nizar, Azizan Abdul Razak of Kedah and many others. Nothing is actually extreme about PAS or religions of today as portrayed by the mainstream media.. PAS, on its part, has grown to become wiser and has accepted the fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country. They could now see the trees instead of just the forest before this and PAS is submitting to this cause. They have to abide by the rules of the constitution that recognise the existence of Malays and non-Malays in the country. PAS has to open itself to all Malaysians to stay relevant as a political party for all.
Only by opening PAS to all Malaysians could the party come to power within the Pakatan political framework. This would indeed be a remarkable development in the Malaysian political scene. No matter what the anarchists may say, absolute freedom or permissiveness in a democracy has failed most societies. Moral and religious values should still be cherished by all Malaysians to bring the desired order in our society. Hence, when some leaders harp on social problems in our society there can be some truth in this.
Man-made laws and absolute permissiveness in society have never made the society a better place to live in. Every Malaysian would agree to these facts. Alcoholism has ruined many families in our society, free sex has brought about uncontrollable diseases and broken families, a lack of faith in retribution and the divine power has brought about an increase in crime; addiction to gambling has brought a lot of despair to many families; child abuse and domestic violence have become a norm in society and drug abuse has found its way into all levels of society.
Corruption has become a way of life; injustice and social discrimination have made some people alienated from the majority and the taxpayers' money is not managed in an accountable and transparent manner. All these have in one way or another afflicted the country we live in. Absolute permissiveness in society and having irresponsible and untrustworthy leaders would eventually ruin the country. The few individuals who are up to tarnish the good image of PAS have no place in this society. They are the desperados who are flaunting fanatical views as a way to scare the moderate Muslims and non-Muslims. Also, some of these 'baddies' are made used of by certain groups to divide the Muslims and instil hatred for Islam and PAS.
For instance, a group has gone to the extent of condemning the appearance of a non-Muslim in a mosque. This, too, has been played up by the media to make the non-Muslims hate Islam and therefore PAS. Wise men will not buy all these stage acts. These are controversies that are staged by some desperate groups. It's a form of political propaganda that most people in our society are not aware of. It has nothing to do with religion or Islam. Personalities like Nik Aziz, Nizar and to a certain extent Asri, have kept away from these skirmishes as they realise the plots of some political agents. When non-Muslims listen to Nik Aziz talking, they can be completely mesmerised by his coolness and persuasive dialogues. He is a calm man who can win the hearts of all Malaysians in the country.
His soft stance over many serious issues brought up by some extreme individuals in PAS and other political groups has convinced the non-Muslims that Islam is being made used of by some groups to hate PAS and divide the people more. If the Indians and Chinese are isolated from PAS, some political groups could gain from this. But today, the Indians and Chinese are voting for PAS in droves and this frightens some political groups as they want the non-Malay votes to stay in power. It looks like in this present political game, PAS has won as the people have become wiser despite the media propaganda against the truth.
Malaysians are just waiting for the day when the baton is passed over to Nizar to lead them to glory. Nizar will get the support of DAP and PKR. Nizar will also get the support of the Malays, Chinese and Indians.
This entry was posted
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