In Malaysian political conflicts, it is sometimes symbolism that wins the day rather than reasoned discourse. The winner is the one with the best marketing and branding campaign. And the most controversial brand-building symbol is the keris.

The keris has historically been a symbol of Malay supremacy. Readers should be familiar with the controversy its use in politics has courted over the years. Perhaps the most famous incident was at the 2005 Umno general assembly, when the then Umno Youth leader, Hishammuddin Hussein, used a keris to punctuate his fiery speech at various points. Some say the incident was one of the reasons for the opposition parties’ dramatic gains in the 2008 general election.

So why on earth would PAS leaders show up at their recent muktamar in full ceremonial Malay garb, complete with keris and tengkolok? Eyebrows were raised at the unlikely sight and then went ceiling-high when party president Abdul Hadi Awang whipped out a two-metre keris to cut a cake decorated to look like the party’s flag.

It isn’t hard, then, to see similarities between PAS and the governing party, the keris being so prominently featured in the latter’s branding. The keris is at the dead centre of the Umno flag.

Hadi’s deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Man, has denied that the switch in attire represents a switch in PAS’ struggle to one that is race-based. “PAS does not champion race without championing religion,” he said. “We don’t unsheathe our keris and kiss it or brandish it against anyone. We just use it to complete the outfit.”

That’s a clear attempt to distance PAS from Umno’s more flamboyant antics. However, it really begs the question of whether PAS leaders are really that ignorant. Surely, they were aware that the inclusion of the keris in the outfit would trigger inevitable questions and suspicions.

Why, for example, would members of an Islamist party, defended by a PAS supporters’ wing delegate at the muktamar as “not based on race like Umno, but on religion”, come dressed in full Malay battle regalia? After all, party members have frequently argued that they are open to people of all races, so long as they are for Islam.

“This shows the goodness and beauty of our culture. Maybe after this we’ll wear the outfits of other races,” said Tuan Ibrahim, in what must be construed as a clear attempt to pre-empt accusations of racism.

That would be fine, if not for Hadi’s decision to cut a cake with his giant keris. Messages don’t get any more in-your-face than that. It’s hard to doubt that it was a calculated move.

One must wonder if this has anything to do with the impending by-elections in the Malay-majority areas of Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar.