Sabah Umno felt that it was unpalatable for the Umno leadership to have closer ties with conservative groups as well as PAS. To put it bluntly, Sabah Umno does not like PAS or the right-wing groups in the party playing the race and religion cards in politics. To Sabah and Sarawak, PAS is definitely not Malaysian and will never fit in the aspirations of the people in those states.
Since 1991, Sabah Umno has stayed out of such racial and religious sentiments, but the latest Umno-PAS rally on ICERD was too damning for them to close their eyes to. Umno at the central level with its new leadership has deviated from the Barisan National (BN) spirit and is now totally directionless. It has opted to rub shoulders with PAS, a conservative party based on religious doctrines.
Umno was never as vocal as this before it lost the general election. PAS, sensing that it now needs Umno to prop up its vote bank, has started to rant and rave about race, even when this is against the teachings of Islam. Prior to this, it was only religion that PAS was absorbed with. This change of wind and strategies by both Umno and PAS has not gone down well with Sabahans and Sarawakians.
Leaders in these two states have realised that Umno and PAS’ brand of politics is not to their taste. They are cognisant of the fact that they can never win the support of the people if they keep pandering to the wishes of Umno-PAS’ extreme politics.
PAS’ brand of politics cannot be accepted by Sabahans
Sabah and Sarawak have been exemplary in terms of racial unity and sociability. They are beginning to see that the real coalition spirit in a multiracial and multi-religious Malaysia is now in PH, and not in Umno or PAS. Warisan, being allied with PH, is now becoming a dominant party in Sabah with its inclusive approach to politics. For Warisan, Sabah comes first and the issue of race or religion has never been the political agenda.
Together, all persons from Sabah are known as Sabahans and identify themselves as such. Sabah, with its over 3.8 million people has a diverse native population of about 32 ethnic groups. It is also a multi-religious state. The three largest indigenous groups in Sabah are the Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau and Murut, followed by the Bruneian Malays, Suluks and other indigenous peoples, while the Chinese make up the main non-indigenous population. They have been living in harmony without any ethnic or religious skirmishes.
They cannot accept PAS’ brand of politics, what more Umno joining PAS to champion race and religion while demeaning the non-indigenous population. Sabah politicians are aware of this, and know that if they join forces with Umno, and indirectly PAS, they will not win in future elections.
The people of Sabah and Sarawak have a tradition of inclusive politics and respect the states’ diverse cultures. Politics of race and religion is quite alien to them. They are multi-religious and multiethnic, and their politicians do not nag and harp on ethnic or religious supremacy. Political parties do not talk of race or religion when campaigning for votes. They may represent their ethnic groups, but they do not consider race and religion a threat to their existence. They may be Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or animistic. It is not a major issue.
If these leaders remained in Umno, their future would be doomed. In Sabah, Warisan is a more inclusive and local-based party, which favours the electorate more. Political parties in Sabah may focus on the needs and aspirations of the natives, but they do not play racial and religious games. Sabah natives comprise both Muslims and non-Muslims, but rarely do we see them sneering at each other’s way of life.
Full support for Mahathir
The reason these leaders have left Umno and given their support to the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PH is because they see the coalition as a multiracial and multi-religious platform. They also see that PH leaders do not indulge in politics of race or religion.
As for Umno, the more its leaders play the race and religion card, the more the party will be alienated by the people. They will not get the support of open-minded Malays, what more the other races. And the more PAS keeps changing its goal posts to please voters and the more it jumps into the same pit of race and religion, the more it can only dream of capturing Putrajaya. PAS may get some support from the Malays in some states with its religious agenda, but it will not be enough for the party to win big. And it can forget about Sabah and Sarawak.
Malaysians have come to realise that they must learn to live together with people of different races and religions. Many today are of mixed parentage and many have also established bonds with other races in their social lives. The future of this country and the way forward is still grounded in power sharing among the races. Race and religion-based political parties have no future in this country.
If Umno wants to be relevant again, it should stay away from PAS and return to the politics of moderation. Get rid of the corrupt leaders and reinvent the party. Join a coalition that is inclusive of all races. Umno cannot win power without the support of other races, what more when it needs to tussle with PAS for the Malay votes in states dominated by the latter.
As for PAS, the die is cast. An enfeebled Umno now would leave it in the lurch. For the past 61 years, its leaders have been recycling the same old empty religious rhetoric that carries no substance in nation building. Realising its mistakes, PAS has been seen as linking up with Umno for its political survival. However, Umno’s latest mass defections have sorely let PAS down.
The recent anti-ICERD rally was just a show of euphoria for Umno and PAS. It will see more Umno lawmakers leaving the party as they are not keen on working with PAS. Sabah has already started the ball rolling.
The team that gained the most from the Umno-PAS alliance, the recent rally and the exodus of Umno leaders is in fact PH.
Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.