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My hopes for Gerakan Harapan Baru

Rama Ramanathan
The Malaysian Insider
30 July 2015

Disgruntled members of PAS, Malaysia’s sole Islamic political party, are working to form a new political party. There has been some debate over whether the word “Islamic” or the word “Muslim” should be in the name of the new party.

The debate is academic, since the two words will not be permitted by the Registrar of Societies. Indeed, some years ago Malaysia’s Malay political party, Umno, agitated to remove the word “Islam” from the name of PAS (“Parti se Islam Malaysia”) and to forbid the use of the words Islam or Muslim in the name of any political party in Malaysia.

Umno has made no effort to include an Islamic element in its name. Umno is aggressively race-based, presenting itself as defender of the Malay race. Nevertheless Umno does claim it is a party of Muslims. The claim is legitimate since Malays are required by the Federal Constitution to profess the religion of Islam. Continue reading “My hopes for Gerakan Harapan Baru”

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The long-awaited political breakthrough

— Koon Yew Yin
Malay Mail Online
July 26, 2015

JULY 26 — Gerakan Harapan Baru, Parti Progresive Islam — whatever name is finally decided for the breakaway group of Pas moderates and progressives — will not matter. What matters is that a new political force is being set up to provide Malaysian Muslims with an alternative to Pas and UMNO in the coming elections.

This move by PAS reformers is possibly the most important development to take place in the country’s political system for a long time. Why do I say this?

Well, most Malaysians especially non-Muslims, we have only had a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea since 1957 in terms of Muslim based parties. That is a choice of UMNO or PAS.

UMNO plays racial cum religious politics; PAS plays religious cum racial politics. We had what is referred to as Hobson’s choice or in simple English, no choice in choosing the government. This ‘take it or leave it’ option to voters is finally going to change. Continue reading “The long-awaited political breakthrough”

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Welcome GHB’s sensible and Malaysian-centric stand that pressing issues of the country are political reforms and socio-economic injustices like the killing of Teoh Beng Hock and 1MBD scandal and not hudud implementation

I welcome the sensible and Malaysian-centric stand and approach of Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) that the pressing issues of the country are political reforms and socio-economic injustices like the killing of Teoh Beng Hock and 1MDB scandal and not hudud implementation.

Khalid Samad, the GHB MP for Shah Alam, has told The Malaysian Insider that GHB would be consistent on this, which clearly differentiated it from PAS.

Khalid said:

“We won’t be doing a U- turn, not like PAS saying in the past that hudud is not a priority and then suddenly making it into something that is the only issue of concern.

“For Harapan Baru, it is not a priority, from our understanding it is the last item to be implemented when everything else is in place.

“There are other issues like national unity, the economy, political conflicts which has to be addressed. That would be the priority.”

I had in fact tried to save Pakatan Rakyat from from being killed by PAS Muktamar in June when two weeks before the PAS Muktamar, I proposed an Eight-Year “Save PR” Roadmap by all three PR parties – DAP, PKR and PAS – reaffirming the PR Common Policy Framework which had won the support of 52% of the electorate in the 13th General Election. Continue reading “Welcome GHB’s sensible and Malaysian-centric stand that pressing issues of the country are political reforms and socio-economic injustices like the killing of Teoh Beng Hock and 1MBD scandal and not hudud implementation”

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Kenyataan pahit politik Malaysia – Hadi sekali lagi akan “dipermainkan” oleh Najib pada persidangan Parlimen akan datang kerana usul rang undang-undang persendirian berkenaan hudud tidak akan diberi ruang untuk dibentangkan kerana Najib telah pun mencapai matlamatnya untuk memecah-belahkan Pakatan Rakyat

Saya terperanjat dengan ketidakjujuran Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yang terus membuat tuduhan palsu bahawa keinginan DAP untuk merampas kuasa politik ke tangan kaum Cina adalah sebab mengapa DAP mahu mengembalikan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan dan punca perpecahan Pakatan Rakyat.

Saya baru saja menonton video wawancara Hadi dengan Channel News Asia yang di dalamnya beliau menuduh DAP melanggar “moral” Pakatan Rakyat dan mahu merampas kuasa politik demikaum Cina dengan cara mengembalikan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan.

Saya terkejut dan sekaligus sedih kerana seorang bekas pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat seperti beliau sanggup meletakkan dirinya ke tahap yang begitu rendah dengan menyebarkan pembohongan sedemikian. Ia perbuatan yang tidak berakhlak bagi seorang pemimpin politik atasan.

Ketika UMNO menyebarkan pembohongan tentang DAP, pemimpin atasan UMNO tidak melibatkan diri, membiarkan kerja-kerja kotor dilakukan oleh para propagandis dan pemain politik tingkat bawah.

Namun dalam PAS, Presiden parti sendiri terlibat secara giat menyebarkan pembohongan yang dulu diulan-ulang oleh UMNO!

Kita mungkin boleh berbaik hati dan memberi alasan bahawa Hadi mempunyai masalah ingatan sehingga sanggup berbohong dan menuduh DAP cuba merampas kuasa demi kaum Cina dengan cara menuntut supaya pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan dikembalikan dan kononnya pilihanraya itu akan merugikan Melayu kerana 60 peratus daripada kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri dalam negara ini telah dikawal oleh DAP.

Dakwaan sedemikian adalah pembohongan terang-terangan dan tidak masuk akal atas enam sebab:

i) DAP tidak mengawal 60 peratus daripada kerusi DUN kerana gabungan ketiga-tiga parti Pakatan Rakyat, iaitu DAP, PKR, dan PAS (sebelum Pakatan dikorbankan dalam Muktamar PAS pada 3 Jun lalu) telah memenangi tidak sampai 50% daripada jumlah keseluruhan kerusi DUN dalam PRU ke-13 yang lalu. Jumlah keseluruhan dan peratus kerusi DUN yang dimenangi oleh parti-parti Pakatan dalam PRU 13 adalah 229 kerusi atau 45% daripada 505 kerusi DUN dalam negara.

ii) DAP tidak pernah menjadi sebuah parti khusus untuk kaum Cina atau mana-mana jua kaum atau agama. Sejak penubuhan parti ini hampir 50 tahun lalu, DAP komited dengan matlamat menjadi parti untuk semua kaum dan penganut agama di Malaysia. Malah, DAP adalah satu-satunya parti politik pan-Malaysia di Malaysia, dengan cabang di semua negeri dalam negara ini.

iii) Pemulihan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan sentiasa menjadi matlamat DAP sejak penubuhan parti ini pada tahun 1966.

iv) Suatu perbuatan yang amat mengelirukan dan tidak bertanggungjawab untuk mengatakan bahawa pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan akan memanfaatkan kaum Cina dan merugikan Melayu. Kenyataan sedemikian mengabaikan hakikat bahawa sejak lima dekad lalu penstrukturan semula kerajaan tempatan telah berlaku dan begitu juga proses urbanisasi Melayu, menghasilkan 148 buah kerajaan tempatan, sekitar 90% daripadanya mempunyai majoriti Melayu lebih 50%, manakala kaum Cina hanya membentuk majoriti di hanya dua atau tiga peratus daripada 148 kerajaan tempatan itu, dan 13 kerajaan tempatan bersifat majmuk dengan tujuh daripadanya didominasi Cina dan enam didominasi Melayu.

v) Suatu kemuncak sikap tidak bertanggungjawab juga untuk menuduh para pejuang pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan sebagai “cauvinis” atau “komunis”, memandangkan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan turut diadakan di Indonesia, Turki dan Iran. Apakah Hadi cuba menyatakan bahawa Presiden Jokowi di Indonesia, Erdogan di Turki, dan bekas presiden Ahmadenijad adalah “komunis” dan “cauvinis” kerana mereka berjaya dalam pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan?

vi) Tiada asas bagi dakwaan bahawa DAP telah melanggar “moral” Pakatan dengan bertindak secara bersendirian untuk cuba memulihkan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan sehingga mencabul Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat. Hakikatnya, pemulihan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan terdapat dalam manifesto Pakatan Rakyat di peringkat kebangsaan dan manifesto Pakatan Rakyat Selangor untuk PRU 13.

Pada Mac 2010, Menteri Besar Selangor dan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang telah menulis surat secara berasingan atas nama kerajaan masing-masing meminta Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya mengendalikan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan di negeri masing-masing, namun permintaan itu ditentang oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Saya berasa sedih melihat Hadi menggunakan pembohongan dan pendustaan UMNO untuk memburuk-burukkan DAP sedangkan beliau sendiri tahu menerusi penglibatan beliau selama tujuh tahun dalam Pakatan bahawa semua dakwaan itu adalah dustasemata-mata.

Lebih buruk daripada itu, Hadi cuba menyemai perpecahan dalam DAP dengan mendakwa bahawa “sesetengah pemimpin DAP” dan “pemimpin negeri” tidak bersetuju dengan pemimpin parti di peringkat kebangsaan dan bahawa hubungan pemimpin PAS dengan pemimpin-pemimpin DAP yang dimaksudkannya itu “masih baik”.

Hadi boleh terus dengan khayalannya itu kerana DAP tidak akan mula menjalankan proses “menyucikan parti” hanya berasaskan dakwaan berniat jahat Hadi itu.

Lebih penting untuk setiap orang mengenal pasti kenyataan pahit dalam politik Malaysia.

Realiti pertama – Pakatan Rakyat akan kalah teruk dalam pilihanraya umum akan datang jika melibatkan diri dalam pilihanraya itu tanpa mempedulikan sama sekali pelanggaran Dasar Bersama oleh PAS, menjadikan hudud satu isu panas dalam kempen pilihanraya.

Malah, sekiranya Dasar Bersama Pakatan dilanggar sebelum PRU 13 yang lalu dan hudud dijadikan isu panas, tentu keputusan yang terhasil berbeza – kerajaan negeri Selangor mungkin telah kembali ke tangan UMNO/BN dan UMNO/BN mendapat semula majoriti dua pertiga, menghasilkan akibat politik jangka panjang.

Sekiranya Dasar Bersama Pakatan dicabul dalam keadaan sedemikian, kesannya di kalangan pengundi Melayu mungkin tidak banyak, tetapi sokongan bukan-Melayu pasti akan merosot teruk, membawa kepada kehilangan sokongan daripada pengundi bukan-Melayu sebanyak sehingga 20%.

Peningkatan undi Melayu sebanyak 1% dan pengurangan undi bukan-Melayu sebanyak 20% dalam PRU 13 mampu menghasilkan senario berikut:

Projeksi berdasarkan negeri sekiranya Hudud dijadikan isu pilihanraya

Senario

Sokongan kepada pembangkang Senario baru
Melayu +1%
Bukan Melayu -20%

Rumusan berdasarkan negeri

GE13 Senario Baru
Summary Parliament PAS PKR DAP PAS PKR DAP
PERLIS 0 0 0 0 0 0
KEDAH 1 4 0 0 0 0
KELANTAN 9 0 0 9 0 0
TERENGGANU 4 0 0 4 0 0
PULAU PINANG 0 3 7 0 2 7
PAHANG 1 2 1 0 1 0
SELANGOR 4 9 4 2 4 4
W.P. KUALA LUMPUR 0 4 5 0 0 5
NEGERI SEMBILAN 0 1 2 0 0 1
MELAKA 0 1 1 0 0 1
JOHOR 0 1 4 0 0 0
JUMLAH 21 28 31 16 7 21
GE13 Senario Baru
Ringkasan Parlimen PAS PKR DAP PAS PKR DAP
PERLIS 1 1 0 0 0 0
KEDAH 9 4 2 5 1 0
KELANTAN 32 1 0 34 0 0
TERENGGANU 14 1 0 14 0 0
PULAU PINANG 1 10 19 1 7 17
PERAK 5 5 18 1 2 14
PAHANG 3 2 7 2 0 2
SELANGOR 15 14 15 5 5 11
NEGERI SEMBILAN 0 3 11 0 0 6
MELAKA 1 0 6 0 0 3
JOHOR 4 1 13 0 0 4
JUMLAH 85 42 91 62 15 57

Dalam senario seperti di atas, Pakatan tidak memenangi 89 kerusi parlimen atau 40% daripada kerusi parlimen, sebaliknya jumlah kerusi yang dimenangi hanya 53 kerusi (44 di Semenanjung dan 9 di Sarawak/Sabah) atau 24% daripada keseluruhan kerusi parlimen. Bermakna UMNO/BN kembali mendapat majoriti dua pertiga, membolehkannya membuat persempadanan semula demi memanjangkan lagi cengkamannya ke atas kuasa secara tidak demokratik.

Di peringkat Dewan Undangan Negeri, 229 kerusi DUN yang dimenangi di Semenanjung Malaysia tentu telah merosot kepada 42% atau hanya 134 kerusi DUN.

Walaupun Pakatan berkemungkinan kekal berkuasa di Pulau Pinang dengan 25 kerusi DUN (17 DAP, 7 PKR dan 1 PAS) berbanding 30 yang dimenangi dalam PRU 13 (19 DAP, 10 PKR dan 1 PAS), kerajaan negeri Selangor akan kembali jatuh ke tangan UMNO/BN di mana 44 kerusi Pakatan yang dimenangi dalam PRU 13 (15 DAP, 15 PAS dan 14 PKR) akan merosot kepada 21 (11 DAP, 5 PAS, 5 PKR).

Keputusan di negeri-negeri Pantai Barat yang lain tentunya sama buruk.

Di Johor, Pakatan tidak mungkin membuat penerobosan dengan memenangi 18 kerusi DUN (13 DAP, 4 PAS dan 1 PKR) dalam PRU 13 dan negeri itu akan kekal sebagai “deposit kekal” UMNO/BN dengan Pakatan hanya memenangi 4 kerusi negeri (semuanya DAP dan sifar untuk PKR dan PAS).

Di Perak, jumlah 28 kerusi Pakatan (18 DAP, 5 PKR dan 5 PAS) pada Mei 2013 mungkin merosot kepada 17 (14 DAP, 2 PKR dan 1 PAS); di Pahan 12 kerusi Pakatan (7 DAP, 3 PAS dan 2 PKR) mungkin merosot kepada 4 (2 DAP, 2 PAS dan 0 PKR); di Negeri Sembilan, jumlah 14 kerusi Pakatan (11 DAP, 3 PKR dan 0 PAS) mungkin merosot kepada 6 (6 DAP, 0 PKR dan 0 PAS); dan di Melaka dari 7 kerusi Pakatan (6 DAP, 1 PAS, 0 PKR) berkurangan kepada (3 DAP, sifat untuk PAS dan PKR).

Jika Hadi mencabul Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat sebelum pilihanraya umum yang lalu dan hudud menjadi isu panas, PAS mungkin telah lenyap di Johor, Melaka, dan Perlis, mengekalkan hanya 1 kerusi DUN di Perak, 2 di Pahang dan 5 di Selangor dan juga Kedah – hanya mengekalkan kedudukan di Kelantan dan Terengganu.

Kenyataan pahit kedua: Dalam pilihanraya umum ke-14 yang akan datang, PAS mungkin hilang kuasa ke atas Kelantan yang telah ditadbirnya selama 15 tahun sejak 1990 jika berlaku perubahan undi sebanyak 4% yang tidak memihak kepada PAS di negeri itu.

Kenyataan pahit ketiga: Satu kesilapan besar untuk mengabaikan kemungkinan PAS kalah di Kelantan dalam PRU 14 jika berlaku perubahan undi sebanyak 4% kerana PAS hilang kuasa di Terengganu dalam pilihanraya tahun 2004 setelah berlaku perubahan undi sebanyak 15% setelah PAS memerintah dan Hadi menjadi Menteri Besar Terengganu selama hanya satu penggal.

Kenyataan pahit keempat: Hadi sekali lagi akan “dipermainkan” oleh Najib pada persidangan Parlimen akan datang kerana usul rang undang-undang persendirian berkenaan hudud tidak akan diberi ruang untuk dibentangkan kerana Najib telah pun mencapai matlamatnya untuk memecah-belahkan Pakatan Rakyat.

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Hard Realities of Malaysian Politics – Hadi will again by “played out” by Najib in the next Parliamentary meeting as Hadi’s private member’s bill motion on hudud will not see the light of day as Najib has already achieved his objective of breaking up Pakatan Rakyat

I am shocked by the downright dishonesty of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang in continuing to accuse the DAP of wanting to grab political power for the Chinese as the reason why DAP wanted to restore local government elections and the break-up of Pakatan Rakyat.

I have just seen the video of Hadi’s interview with Channel News Asia (CNA) where he accused the DAP of violating the “morals” of Pakatan Rakyat and of wanting to grab political power for the Chinese in wanting to restore local government elections.

I am both shocked and saddened that a former Pakatan Rakyat leader could be reduced to a level to  tell such a lie, which is a most immoral act for any top political leader.

Continue reading “Hard Realities of Malaysian Politics – Hadi will again by “played out” by Najib in the next Parliamentary meeting as Hadi’s private member’s bill motion on hudud will not see the light of day as Najib has already achieved his objective of breaking up Pakatan Rakyat”

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Hadi is the single cause of the death of Pakatan Rakyat not only for violating the PR Common Policy Framework and the PR consensus operational principle but trying to be “master” of PR

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Hadi adalah punca utama kematian Pakatan Rakyat bukan saja kerana mencabul Dasar Bersama dan prinsip muafakat Pakatan Rakyat tetapi juga kerana cuba untuk menjadi “tuan” Pakatan Rakyat

Berat hati saya untuk menyatakan rasa kesal saya yang bersangatan melihat Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang terus mengulang-ulang propaganda UMNO bahawa DAP mahu menjadi “tuan” ke atas parti lain bagi menyelindungkan pendirian politik baru beliau untuk menjadi pembela terkuat Datuk Seri Najib Razak dalam keadaan para pemimpin dan ahli UMNO sendiri sedang mencari arah baru untuk negara ini.

Sebagai contoh, ketua UMNO Cheras Syed Ali Alhabshee kelmarin menyifatkan pakatan baru pembangkang tidak mampu menggugat UMNO sambil terus menyebarkan pembohongan bahawa gabungan baru berkenaan akan dikuasai oleh DAP seperti mana kononnya DAP dulu menguasai Pakatan Rakyat yang telah berkubur.

Dakwaan yang hampir sama diulang oleh Hadi kelmarin dengan menyebut bahawa golongan yang menghargai perjuangan Islam tidak akan menjadikan DAP sebagai ‘wali’, mengulangi tuduhan UMNO bahawa DAP mahu menjadi “tuan” dalam hubungan “tuan dan hamba” dengan parti-parti politik lain.

Tuduhan itu bukan saja tidak berasas sama sekali, malah ia pembohongan paling keji daripada seorang bekas pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat. Continue reading “Hadi is the single cause of the death of Pakatan Rakyat not only for violating the PR Common Policy Framework and the PR consensus operational principle but trying to be “master” of PR”

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It is Hadi’s prerogative if he wants to provide a life-line to support Najib and shore up the Prime Minister in the gathering storm over the 1MDB scandal, but PAS leaders should not expect DAP leaders to keep quiet when they make baseless attacks on the DAP

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Terserah kepada Hadi jika beliau mahu membantu memanjangkan jangka hayat Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri di tengah taufan skandal 1MDB, namun pemimpin-pemimpin PAS tidak boleh mengharapkan DAP berdiam diri apabila mereka membuat serangan tidak berasas ke atas DAP.

Saya telah menasihatkan para pemimpin DAP untuk tidak mencontohi sikap Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan bekas Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Mustapha Ali menyerang pemimpin DAP tanpa asas. Saya juga telah menasihatkan para pemimpin DAP untuk sentiasa “berpegang dengan prinsip, menjaga etika, sopan dan jangan sekali-kali menggunakan pembohongan dan pendustaan, memfitnah, atau menggunakan gelaran yang buruk atau memburukkan peribadi sesiapa.”

Terpulang kepada Hadi jika beliau mahu membantu memanjangkan hayat politik Datuk Seri Najib Razak sebagai Perdana Menteri di tengah taufan politik skandal 1MDB dan mengecam percubaan mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Mahathir untuk menjatuhkan Najib sebagai PM (mungkin Hadi boleh juga jelaskan mengapa beliau tidak cuba menyelamatkan Tun Abdullah ketika beliau menerima tekanan yang sama daripada Mahathir selepas pilihan raya umum 2008.

Namun pemimpin PAS tidak boleh mengharapkan para pemimpin DAP berdiam diri apabila mereka membuat serangan tidak berasas terhadap pemimpin DAP seperti yang dilakukan oleh Mustapha di Kuala Terengganu kelmarin.

Mustapha mengulangi dua tuduhannya terhadap pemimpin DAP, iaitu bahawa para pemimpin DAP angkuh serta menuduh DAP menyediakan “perangkap” buat para pemimpin progresif dalam PAS yang tewas dalam pemilihan parti itu baru-baru ini untuk menjadikan Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) “proksi” DAP. Continue reading “It is Hadi’s prerogative if he wants to provide a life-line to support Najib and shore up the Prime Minister in the gathering storm over the 1MDB scandal, but PAS leaders should not expect DAP leaders to keep quiet when they make baseless attacks on the DAP”

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The new coalition of Malaysian progressives – whether Pakatan Rakyat 2.0, New Pakatan Rakyat or Harapan Rakyat – will be sequel to 13GE battle in 14GE to rekindle hopes and aspirations of Malaysians for political change in Putrajaya

Five days ago, I posed the question whether PAS could lose Kelantan in the next 14th General Election.

I said that based on the 13th General Election performance, if there is a 4% swing of voters against PAS in Kelantan in the next poll, PAS will lose power in the state it had governed for 25 years since 1990.

Is a 4% swing in a state an unlikely happening?

In the 13th General Election in Kedah, PAS and Pakatan Rakyat lost the Kedah State Government because there was a 3.8% swing of the voters against PAS.

The voter swing against PAS was even greater and more overwhelming during the 2004 General Election in Terengganu, where there was a 15% swing of voters against PAS, sweeping out the Terengganu PAS State Government after only one term of Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi as the Terengganu Mentri Besar.

There is no doubt that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would have been wiped out in the next general election if Pakatan Rakyat had contested the next polls in total disregard of the violation of the PR Common Policy Framework by one of the component parties, with hudud as a controversial issue in the election campaign. Continue reading “The new coalition of Malaysian progressives – whether Pakatan Rakyat 2.0, New Pakatan Rakyat or Harapan Rakyat – will be sequel to 13GE battle in 14GE to rekindle hopes and aspirations of Malaysians for political change in Putrajaya”

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Is it really new hope?

– Wan Saiful Wan Jan
The Malaysian Insider
21 July 2015

This Raya week marks the beginning of a more concerted effort by some towering figures in PAS to set up a new political party.

Calling themselves Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) or New Hope Movement, they have started a nationwide tour to speak to the public in all states across Malaysia.

The events in Kelantan and Perlis on Sunday received a very warm reception. Turnout was very good and people that I spoke too who attended the events were clearly excited.

PAS’s response to GHB is expected. They see it as a threat and they are painting GHB with bad light. This is sheer hypocrisy.

Various individuals in PAS, including their president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, have gone overboard to insult their former colleagues who lost in the party elections in June.

Hadi was even quoted to use words such as “barua” and “tolol” when referring to the GHB leaders, albeit without mentioning them directly. Continue reading “Is it really new hope?”

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GHB is not PAS 2.0

— L.S. Yap
The Malay Mail Online
July 20, 2015

JULY 20 — The fear that the new Islamic-leaning party Gabungan Harapan Baru (GHB) will be another religious party advocating theocracy is unfounded. There is a tendency amongst secularists to resort to fear mongering to skew the direction of national politics. The story is a familiar one: the participation of the religious political parties will pave the way for the degeneration of our democracy into a religious theocracy.

However, these fears are built on the assumption that the GHB and PAS can be simplistically banded together as Islamic parties for Malays. This is an unhelpful generalisation, with the dangerous potential to obfuscate rather than elucidate.

While PAS can be said to be principally a religious movement with its participation in democracy an instrument to achieving its objectives, GHB is a political party with religion to provide it with legitimacy. Politics is employed by PAS to give greater force to its religious movement, whereas religion is carefully used to legitimise the political mission of GHB.

In other words, religion is the raison de’etre of PAS, while the democratic wishes of its members, not religion, is the primary concern of GHB. Nowhere is this more clear from the top down and bottom up party structure of PAS and GHB respectively. Continue reading “GHB is not PAS 2.0”

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Menjawab mereka yang skeptikal isu parti baru

Khalid Samad
Malaysiakini
20 Jul 2015

Kebelakangan ini saya banyak ‘terbaca’ tulisan seorang yang bernama Fathi Aris Omar. Tulisannya telah ‘diwhatsappkan’ kepada saya oleh seorang kenalan yang meminta saya memberi komen balas.

Jarang saya berminat untuk respon tulisan orang yang tidak saya kenali, tetapi setelah membaca beberapa tulisannya, saya merasakan ada keperluan untuk saya respon bukan sahaja kepada beliau tetapi kepada mereka yang turut berfikiran skeptikal seperti beliau. Continue reading “Menjawab mereka yang skeptikal isu parti baru”

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Joining New Hope Movement hardest decision of my life, says Mujahid

by Looi Sue-Chern
The Malaysian Insider
19 July 2015

PAS MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa made the hardest decision of his life when he launched the New Hope Movement (GHB) with other progressive leaders from the party earlier this week.

The turning point in his political life is likely to see him leave the Islamist party and become a founding member of a new political organisation with his “purged” colleagues.

“It is the most difficult decision of my life. I was born and bred in the politics of PAS. My mother was pregnant with me when my father campaigned in Perlis in 1964.

“When I was born on October 25 that year, my father had to find a name that reflected the challenges he went through. So he named me Mujahid, which means a fighter who doesn’t give up.

“I have to live up to my name with the difficulties I face. It has made me who I am,” the 50-year-old told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Joining New Hope Movement hardest decision of my life, says Mujahid”

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GHB vs PAS: Antara akhlak dan perjuangan

– Al Amin Mohamed Sultan
The Malaysian Insider
18 July 2015

Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) adalah satu pasukan yang sedang bergerak laju dalam mencorakkan warna baru dalam arena politik tanah air.

Ada yang mengatakan mereka ini sebagai serpihan PAS walaupun masyarakat umum lebih memahami mereka ini adalah gabungan individu yang terkeluar daripada kepemimpinan PAS melalui pembersihan terancang dalam muktamar.

Maka, setelah kalah sepatutnya mereka duduk diam-diam sahajalah, buat apa-apa yang rasional dalam terus memajukan parti.

Sayang seribu kali sayang, keputusan yang mereka ambil adalah unik kerana mereka ingin meneruskan agenda yang lebih besar.

Ianya dalam erti kata meneruskan sistem dual parti politik di Malaysia untuk memantapkan blok pembangkang iaitu Pakatan Rakyat yang kini sedang punya pakatan yang longgar terutama daripada aspek sokongan umat Islam melalui PAS. Continue reading “GHB vs PAS: Antara akhlak dan perjuangan”

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Major takes off from PAS and lands in New Hope

By Susan Loone
Malaysiakini
Jul 16, 2015

Major Zaidi Ahmad, who was expelled from the Royal Malaysian Air Force over the GE13 indelible ink issue, said he joined Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) because PAS has diverted from its principles.

Zaidi, who joined the party only this year, after the military court discharged him from his duties in February, said PAS has become “backward” in its struggles.

“I’ve been a supporter of PAS since I was a young boy in Sungai Petani, so were my parents.

“But when I went to the recent party’s muktamar in Selangor in early June, I saw how the party has diverted from its principles,” he told Malaysiakini, when met after the launch of GHB’s pro-tem committee by its state chief Mujahid Yusof Rawa in Butterworth today.

Zaidi, who is a member of GHB’s 35-member pro-tem committee in Penang, said PAS only wants to promote certain groups and not inclusive anymore.

He said all factions – ulama or progressives – need to work together in PAS but the recent muktamar put an end to that. Continue reading “Major takes off from PAS and lands in New Hope”

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Ex-PAS man chides party over vote-splitting plan

By Terence Netto
Malaysiakini
Jul 16, 2015

PAS would be doing a ‘childish thing’ if the party decides to field candidates from its supporters’ wing against the DAP in the next general election.

This intention was broached by the Islamic party’s Election Director Mustafa Ali in the course of remarks made to a web news portal on the DAP and the new political entity being set up by PAS progressives who were routed in internal elections at the party’s muktamar held last month.

Hu Pang Chow, a founding member of the Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP), said PAS should instead engage in public debates with the DAP over its vision of Malaysia rather than choose to split the votes for the opposition by fielding candidates against established opposition political parties.

“Engage in public debates with the DAP, outline your vision of a new Malaysia,” was the advice to PAS offered by Hu, who was chairman of DHPP from its inauguration in 2004 until 2010. Continue reading “Ex-PAS man chides party over vote-splitting plan”

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DAP nation-wide must be prepared for three-cornered contests, both parliamentary and state assembly, in the next general elections

With the demise of Pakatan Rakyat as a result of the PAS Muktamar resolution on June 3, 2015, DAP nation-wide must be prepared for three-cornered contests, both parliamentary and state assembly, in the next general elections.

DAP will co-operate with all progressive political parties and forces, including PKR and the progressive PAS leaders who are in the process of forming a new political party, to save Malaysia from becoming a failed state because of rampant corruption, socio-economic injustices and collapse of good governance so as to re-set the country on the correct course towards an united, harmonious, ethical, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.

I feel sad at the demise of Pakatan Rakyat after seven years of a common political struggle based on the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework (CPF) and the operational consensus principle that any PR decision must be based on the consensus of the three component parties, but when the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi repeatedly violated the PR CPF and the PR consensus principle, even ignoring the decision of the previous PAS Central Committee, followed by the PAS Muktmar resolution to sever ties between PAS and DAP, we must accept the unmistakable signs that the PR had died. Continue reading “DAP nation-wide must be prepared for three-cornered contests, both parliamentary and state assembly, in the next general elections”

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Can PAS lose Kelantan in 14GE?

PAS leaders, like its President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and former Secretary-General Datuk Mustafa Ali have publicly stated that the PAS Progressive’s Gerakan Harapan Baru will not last more than two years.

DAP had always been concerned particularly since the Kelantan floods last December as to whether PAS could again win the Kelantan state government in the next general election.

DAP had informed the top PAS leadership before the 13th General Election in May 2013 that Pakatan Rakyat was on the way to losing Kedah state government in the 13GE and changes were needed in the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat State administration but our concerns and warning fell on deaf ears.

Is it possible that PAS will lose the Kelantan state government in the next general election (GE14)?

Even though the political sentiment at the national level does not seem favourable to UMNO/BN due to factors such as the GST, 1MDB and the worsening economic situation, unique local factors may be sufficient such that PAS may lose votes in Kelantan even as the opposition gains more votes at the national level in the other states.

This is not unprecedented.
Continue reading “Can PAS lose Kelantan in 14GE?”

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Malaysian politics are dirty and polluted enough without Mustafa having to leap into the swamp with lies and falsehoods to demonise and character-assassinate PAS progressives

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Politik Malaysia sudah pun kotor dan tercemar tanpa perlu Mustafa Ali melompat masuk ke dalam lubuk politik ini dengan pembohongan dan fitnah untuk memburukkan serta membunuh wibawa Progresif PAS yang masih lagi bersamanya sebagai rakan seperjuangan PAS

Dua hari lalu, saya terkejut apabila Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, telah meniru suara propagandis dan tentera maya UMNO dengan menuduh DAP sebagai “cauvinis” semata-mata kerana DAP menuntut dihidupkan kembali pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan, yang sememangnya terkandung dalam Manifesto Pakatan Rakyat Nasional dan Manifesto Pakatan Rakyat Selangor dalam pilihanraya umum ke-13 yang lalu.

Hadi seolah-olah tidak tahu bahawa pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan wujud di Indonesia, Turki dan Iran. Tak kanlah Hadi nak menuduh Presiden Jokowi dari Indonesia, Presiden Erdogan (Turki) dan bekas Presiden Ahmadinejad (Iran) adalah “komunis” dan “cauvinis” kerana mereka melaksanakan pilihanraya tempatan?

Hari ini saya terkejut apabila seorang lagi pemimpin kanan PAS, bekas Setiausaha Agungnya Datuk Mustafa Ali yang turut meniru suara propagandis dan tentera maya UMNO kononnya parti baru yang akan ditubuhkan oleh kumpulan progresif PAS bakal menghadapi masalah kerana ia adalah proksi DAP, dan dengan itu, orang Melayu tidak akan percaya kepada parti itu.

Sedangkan Mustafa sendiri telah mengakui bahawa label “proksi DAP” ini telah digunakan terhadap PAS apabila PAS bekerjasama dengan DAP dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Adakah PAS pernah menjadi proksi DAP? Adakah ia menjadi sebab mengapa PAS sukar mendapat sokongan orang Melayu? Continue reading “Malaysian politics are dirty and polluted enough without Mustafa having to leap into the swamp with lies and falsehoods to demonise and character-assassinate PAS progressives”

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Why is Hadi parroting the line of UMNO propagandists and cybertroopers accusing the DAP of being “chauvinist” in wanting to have local government elections?

PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is quoted as calling the DAP “chauvinist” for trying to restore local council elections in his press conference inBatu Pahat on Sunday.

I am amazed as to why the head of a political party which rivals UMNO is parroting the line of UMNO propagandists and cybertroopers who had been accusing the DAP of being “chauvinistic” in wanting to have local government elections, as one would expect more originality and even creativity from Hadi!

I am particularly surprised by Hadi’s charge of “chauvinism”, after he and PAS leaders had asked for DAP agreement after the 13th General Election that Hadi should be seated at the second Opposition seat next to the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, although PAS parliamentary representation was the smallest with 21 MPs as compared to DAP’s 38 and PKR’s 30.

However, without hesitation, I consented to the arrangement for Hadi to be seated in the second Parliamentary seat for Pakatan Rakyat benches, which would not be the case if DAP is “chauvinistic” as Hadi is now charging, as we would then be subjecting all considerations to the question of racial interest.

However, I had no qualms in immediately agreeing to the PAS request for Hadi to be seated in the second Opposition front-bench seat in Parliament although PAS had the least number of MPs among the three Pakatan Rakyat parties, for we in the DAP are always prepared to rise above self and party interests if this would serve the larger purpose of promoting the Pakatan Rakyat cause of bringing about political change in Malaysia towards restoring freedom, justice, human rights and dignity and save Malaysia from becoming a failed state because of rampant corruption, injustices and collapse of good governance.

It is to say the least, an “unkind cut” that after securing the second seating in Parliament by pleading the cause of ‘face” for the Malay ground and among PAS members, for Hadi to turn around and accuse me and DAP of being “chauvinist”. Continue reading “Why is Hadi parroting the line of UMNO propagandists and cybertroopers accusing the DAP of being “chauvinist” in wanting to have local government elections?”

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Harapan kepada ustaz muda progresif

A Shukur Harun
The Malaysian Insider
14 July 2015

Bagi umat Islam di Malaysia yang mengikuti perkembangan gerakan Islam atau politik Islam yang kini menghadapi pelbagai masalah, menyebabkan pelbagai persoalan dan tanda tanya berlegar di sekitar mereka – apakah sebenarnya yang terjadi.

Apakah tidak ada penyelesaian, atau menempuh jalan mati? Sedangkan mereka mendakwa berpandukan ajaran Al-Quran dan Sunnah sejak berabad-abad lamanya.

Persoalan yang menimbulkan perbalahan ini antaranya disebabkan perbezaan pandangan antara mereka yang sempit dan keras (shadid) dalam memahami Islam dengan pandangan mereka terbuka dan lunak didukung dengan kebijaksanaan – sesuai dengan watak Islam itu sendiri yang unggul, anjal, diterima di sepanjang aman dan keadaan, mampu menangani perubahan dan segalanya.

Bagi golongan jalur keras, Islam itu lebih banyak dilihat daripada aspek hukum daripada aspek yang lain. Continue reading “Harapan kepada ustaz muda progresif”