Faced with three-cornered fights in its stronghold, Islamist party PAS is urging Kelantan voters to “rise up and defend” what it claims to be the only “Islamic government” in the country.
PAS’s new campaign, called “Bangkit Pertahan”, is aimed at both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The Islamist party has accused both parties of trying to undo its efforts at Islamising the state — the former by oppressive federal powers, and the latter by alleged treachery.
“Bangkit Pertahan may not be easy to understand except by those who understand the struggles of Islam. Only by understanding that they can feel the need for Muslims to rise up and defend the only Islamic government in Malaysia.
“It is an obligation to fight, to rise up is a religious obligation,” Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, Kelantan PAS communications secretary and a state exco, told Malay Mail in a recent interview at the state secretariat office here.
Che Abdullah said the PAS government has tried its best to Islamise the state with its limited powers, from banning gambling and the sales of alcohol in public premises, and placing the state’s coffers in Bank Islam that does not practise usury.
He said even with Kelantan’s vibrant past as a centre of Islam expansion in the region — being among the places dubbed the “Veranda of Mecca” — such major steps could not have been done until PAS achieved a political victory.
“That’s why Tok Guru said whoever gave its ballot to PAS in 1990, even if he has passed away, he keeps getting rewarded by God.
“Takda sebab demo nak lawe kawe,” Che Abdullah said, referring to and quoting the late statesman Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in the Kelantanese dialect, meaning “There is no reason for them to oppose us.”
PAS had governed Kelantan since 1974 as part of BN, before losing control of it in the 1977 state emergency. It was not until 1990 that PAS retook Kelantan, under Nik Aziz’s stewardship in the state and as part of the Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah coalition.
Nik Aziz was appointed Kelantan mentri besar after the victory and became the party’s spiritual leader the following year — positions he held until the 2013 polls, and his death in 2015, respectively.
Warding off ‘backstabbers’
PAS achieved its biggest victory in 2008 as part of then Pakatan Rakyat, winning 38 out of 45 state seats in Kelantan. By 2013, it lost five of those seats to BN.
Since Nik Aziz’s death, Pakatan Rakyat is no more. The party was split in two in 2015, with most of its progressive faction forming splinter Parti Amanah Negara.
PAS not only decided to refrain from joining PR’s successor PH, but will now go against it.
For Che Abdullah, his colleagues-turned-rivals in Amanah were the “treachery” that Nik Aziz had allegedly warned of in his final days, prompting the latter to caution against those who “sow chaos in the state”.
While Che Abdullah did not mention any names, his colleague Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was more direct in his barbs, when speaking at a casual rally in the Kota Lama state constituency under his Kota Baru federal seat last month.
“There is somebody who was part of the state secretariat and a leader, who suddenly ran away from our fight,” Takiyuddin told a crowd of dozens, while explaining the “Bangkit Pertahan” campaign.
The PAS secretary-general proceeded to tell the crowd of PAS supporters that to be a Kelantan mentri besar, one must not only win a state seat and his party commands the majority in the state assembly, but he must also receive assent from the Kelantan sultan.
“So our friend here, think he can get that assent? … If his ‘Datuk’ title was thrown away, does that mean the Sultan agrees with him?” he said, mentioning the Salor state seat.
Salor was won by Husam Musa, a former Kelantan PAS leader and one of Nik Aziz’s protegés who was tipped to succeed him. He has since joined Amanah and is now leading PH’s assault on the east coast state.
In February, Sultan Muhammad V revoked Husam’s “Datuk” title, and also that of Kelantan Amanah chief Wan Abd Rahim Wan Abdullah.
Long fight against BN
Despite that, Che Abdullah downplayed PH and Amanah’s chances in Kelantan, and warned that a BN victory would spell a downfall of the Islamic government.
“If not PAS, surely Umno [would win]. Amanah is not capable. The public can see and then compare us, in whatever sense, from the top to the bottom of their leadership,” he said.
“They can see that the suitable culture for Muslims and non-Muslims in Kelantan is with PAS. Even if they’re not involved in Kelantan administration — to defend the government, they would defend PAS.”
The Wakaf Baru assemblyman said PAS’ fight against BN has been going on for a long time, and the former is being curtailed, especially by the lack of funding for the state — manifesting itself in the absence of physical development for the state’s airport, ports and highways.
In 2015, Kelantan had passed its Syariah Criminal Code (II) Enactment 1993 that would allow severe punishments under the Islamic penal code of hudud, such as amputation of limbs for thefts, stoning for illicit sex or death for apostasy.
PAS is currently seeking in Parliament to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal) Jurisdiction Act 1965 which limits such punishments from being implemented, but seems to find itself at the mercy of the ruling coalition to table it.
“We have opposed BN, Umno for a long time. This new conflict, this new treachery, it would present a win to Umno if we don’t go all out fighting it,” he said, referring to PH.
Earlier last month, PAS held a mega rally in the state capital here called “Himpunan Bangkit Pertahan” meant to rouse exactly this spirit among Kelantan voters.
The day-long rally kicked off with a religious lecture by popular Islamic scholar Azhar Idrus in the morning, and ended with speeches from top party leaders such as president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and Che Abdullah himself as the chairman of the campaign.
The campaign is using the #BangkitPertahan hashtag on social media, and several giant billboards have already been erected across the state with the same message.
It has also printed “Bangkit Pertahan” stickers, which shows Ahmad wearing a white skullcap over the red Kelantan flag, and the name of the campaign in both the Latin alphabet and Jawi script.
The stickers were meant to be displayed on each supporters’ motorcycles and cars, akin to a previous campaign prior to the 13th general election — which had a green “K” symbolising the Malay word “kekal”, that means “to remain” with PAS.
However, “Bangkit Pertahan” stickers are yet to strike a chord with Kelantan folks. Che Abdullah admitted as much and said he hoped that it would become more visible once the election draws closer as the message trickles down to the grassroots.
“We will defend Kelantan forever, until we are called by God [to the afterlife],” he said. -Mmail
