TIMELY QUESTION: Does PAS know what it is doing?

When PAS collected money for one of the Malaysian fighter who died fighting for Isis in the Middle East, I wanted to hear the views from the rest of Malaysians.

I want to hear from our leaders in government because it has something to do with Malaysia’s foreign policy and its international reputation.

I want to hear from PAS’s coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat because PAS is an important partner which may someday helm the federal power in this country.

I want to hear from PAS’s political opponents in BN, particular Umno. I want to hear whether PAS’s action was agreeable and acceptable to Umno/BN. I want to know whether there is a possibility that Umno/BN may be too afraid to disagree openly with what PAS is doing.

PAS is a political party contesting for political power in the country. When the party openly and defiantly labelled someone as martyr who died fighting for Isis which our government has condemned, what message is the party trying to convey to the rest of Malaysians? Seriously, is this action acceptable? Never mind the cleric faction within PAS, I think it is time for the rest of PAS to come up with a clear stand on Isis and those fighting for it. I appreciate the need for each political party to garner and galvanise support from within its constituents, but whatever is done must be within acceptable norms and reasons. I think PAS’s antic has gone over the edge.

What about PAS’s coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat? Is this going to be like other “sensitive issues” that should be left out of Pakatan’s common policy framework? I think it is too simplistic and naive for each party within the coalition to pursue whatever policies they wish with the excuse that these are not among those with the consensus of all the three parties.

Please get this right – the common policy framework should dictate the policies of all the component parties, not the other way round. If Pakatan pledges parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, then theocracy and giving recognition to those subscribing to violence does not come in, no matter what. I think agreeing to disagree is a dangerous thing to do and should not be carried too far. –TMI