For Justice, Freedom & Solidarity PP3739/12/2009(022904) ISSN 0127 - 5127 RM4.00 2009:Vol.29No.5 Aliran Monthly : Vol.29(5) Page 1 COVER STORY Umno and Pas: Once bitten, twice not shy A Pas-Umno ‘marriage’ would have been nothing more than a marriage of convenience with disturbing consequences by Maznah Mohamad ow serious was the pro- HH posal for “unity talks” HHH between Umno and Pas? After much pussy-foot- ing and yes-I-want-no-I-will- think-about-it, Umno President Najib was offering his party’s hand to Pas, an apparently coy and indecisive bride-to-be.(And now there is an attempt to engage in “intellectual discourse”, initi- ated by the deputy youth leaders of both parties.) But one thing we can be sure about, this unity talks plan was a serious marriage proposal on Umno’s part, and the only thing that kept the prospective bride from accepting the proposal out- right was that some members of the family were dead set against the idea. Marrying an old, sly, rich suitor was risky. It was obvious that Umno had much to gain from the Pas merger. And as for Pas, would it not have been too much of a sacrifice, espe- law. This time around, Umno Courting trouble cially the second time around? would be revived and Pas would have willy nilly relinquished its Why was it so crucial for Umno to In their previous liaison, the rela- identity as an Islamic party, while court Pas and tempt it into leav- tionship was rudely ended when its path towards an Islamic de- ing the Pakatan Rakyat? Umno called off the deal in 1978 mocracy would have come to a with the invoking of an emergency dead end. Hypothetically speaking, having Aliran Monthly : Vol.29(5) Page 2 EDITOR'S NOTE In our cover story, Maznah Mohamad analyses the re- cent proposal for Umno-Pas unity talks. A Pas-Umno CONTENTS ‘marriage’, she says, would have been nothing more than a marriage of convenience with disturbing conse- quences. Such talk and the divisions it has created in Pas COVER STORY may have contributed to the party’s poorer showing in ••• UMNO And PAS: Once Bitten, the recent Manek Urai by-election, suggests Anil Netto. Twice Not Shy 222 ••• A Wake-up Call For PAS 777 Tan Pek Leng reviews an inspiring new book of poems and prose of men who were imprisoned without trial for their convictions in Singapore. Such dissidents and FEATURES ‘prophets of doom’ are actually essential cornerstones ••• Lambs Under The Throne 888 for building an accountable and just democracy, says ••• Human Rights And Criminal Justice 111111 Angeline Loh. ••• Take Action Against Steep Hill-Slope Projects 161616 It all depends on how you look at them. Hishamuddin ••• Vistas Of Detention... Yahaya points out that people like Mat Kilau and Tok Voices Of Freedom 191919 Janggut were dubbed “traitors” by the British while Chin ••• ‘Prophets Of Doom’ Provide Hope 232323 Peng and company were seens as “terrorists”. No mat- ••• Traitors And Terrorists 262626 ••• Time To Abolish The ISA For Good 282828 ter what, not one person should be held in detention •• Time To Abolish The ISA For Good 2828 ••• Public Procurement: Abuses And without trial as it violates basic human rights, asserts Challenges 292929 Norlaila Othman. ••• Election Verdict 2009: Whither BJP? 323232 ••• Can You Sell Something That It’s not just the ISA that needs to be repealed. It is time to You Don't Own? 404040 set up a law reform commission to look into and update outdated criminal laws, writes Hamid Ibrahim. Tommy Thomas discusses the Griffith thesis: Judges well lend REGULARS their support to government measures to preserve sta- ••• Current Concerns 343434 bility and they will not be overly concerned if such mea- sures require the invasion of individual stability. OTHERSOTHERSOTHERS Government policies, such as those governing public ••• Subscription Form 181818 procurement, need to be reformed as well. H A Lee says ••• New Book By Dr Francis Loh 393939 its time to give the rakyat a preview of what ketuanan rakyat economic and social policies will look like. Finally, P Ramakrishnan takes a look at the controversy Published by over Kg Buah Pala. Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN)(ALIRAN)(ALIRAN) 103, Medan Penaga, 11600 Jelutong, Aliran is an organisation for ‘social democratic reform’. We advocate freedom, justice and Penang, Malaysia. solidarity; comment critically on social issues, offer Tel: (04) 658 5251 Fax: (04) 658 5197 analysis and alternative ideas keeping in mind Email (Letters to Editor): the national and global picture based on universal [email protected] human rights and spiritual values. We are listed on the on the roster of the Economic and Social Council of Email (General): [email protected] the United Nations. Founded in 1977, Aliran Homepage : http://www.aliran.com welcomes all Malaysians above 21 to be members. Contact the Hon. Secretary or visit our webpage. Printed by Konway Industries Sdn. Bhd. Plot 78, Lebuhraya Kampung Jawa, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang Aliran Monthly : Vol.29(5) Page 3 Pas join the BN coalition would lacks, Umno can be repackaged, nated by the intellectuals, up the parliamentary seats of the its long-lost lustre reclaimed Umno’s greatest threat. BN to 163 and reduce the PR seats through Pas’ hand in marriage. to 59. This would mean that the Second, Pas’ brokers had to an- BN would get to control 73 per Having 63 per cent of Malay seats swer the question as to why they cent of the seats and PR would be in the BN is the best idea to sell to were now contemplating sleeping reduced to having only 27 per cent Malays: that there would now be with an old enemy. What hap- of the seats. Malay unity. Umno hopes that pened to the “kafir-mengkafir” ac- with “Malay unity” the non- cusations? Would they “forgive Furthermore, if all the Pas seats Malay partners would were to be added to the Umno feel even more secure seats, the BN coalition would be about the arrangement divided this way – 63 per cent and will continue to be Malay seats, 25 per cent East Ma- ensconced within the laysian seats and 12 per cent non- BN rather than leave Malay seats. This is Umno’s the coalition. dream: to sell the idea to Malays that the BN is a multi-racial party As for Pas, would this with a difference — that Malays be a dream scenario? It and Muslims are the strongest would have been a dif- and only formidable majority ficult road ahead for within the coalition. the party brokers, who were deeply immersed Umno has proved that, as a party, in courtship rituals. it is not able to institute any inter- nal reforms. Not only is the party First, they had to deal riddled with corruption, it also with the other faction lacks both ulamas and intellectu- of Pas, who were als among its membership. Pas strongly opposed to has the ulamas and the intellec- the idea. This is a tuals Umno sorely needs, and the strong faction with an only plausible way for Umno to equally strong icon in reinvent itself today would really the person of the Tok be to absorb what it does not have. Guru Nik Aziz. This is Through “buying in” what it also the faction domi- Aliran Monthly : Vol.29(5) Page 4 and forget” over the Memali inci- media and guarantee the liberties “Malay unity” even if artificially dent? of citizens? These issues had created through electoral machi- never been part of the unity talks; nation, would have led to a more Third, they would have had to the talk would only be about re- racially-divided Malaysia. More weigh the possibility that the suscitating Malay dominance than it ever has been. party would lose its Islamic iden- rather than Malay progress. tity, as being in the BN would Voters would have been forced to mean having to negotiate with But all of the above questions may vote within a more starkly racial Umno on everything, from the dis- not have occupied the minds of framework, even if it goes against tribution of ministerial posts to the “unity” team. For Umno, it was their sense of decency. Voting for determining what is the right Is- to save itself from obsolescence. the BN would simply mean vot- lam. Besides, in the next election For Pas, it was for some of its bro- ing essentially for Malay-Muslim Pas would not have been able to kers to taste the power of federal supremacy and voting for PR use its signature moon and green ministerships, besides ensuring would mean voting for minority logo to contest. Small issue, but in that it would get to control four voices. It wouldn’t be a choice be- today’s world, image is every- states together with Umno — tween development or backward- thing. Selangor, Perak, Kelantan and ness or between clean government Kedah. or corrupt government. It would Fourth, they would have had to be mostly about race. figure out how to clean up an The Pas leaders may even have Umno which they themselves had thought that with all these states Second, the negotiating power of derided as being corrupt, de- under the joint control of their the non-Malay partners within bauched and immoral. What per- party and Umno, Pas could then the BN - including those of the suasive power would Hadi achieve its own dream of having East Malaysian partners - would Awang, Nasharudin, Mustafa Ali Islamic governance in four more have been severely diminished,.