Dr M skewers PAS for knuckling under to DAP

February 24, 2011

Dr Mahathir labelled PAS insincere in its moves to woo the Malay electorate. Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today accused PAS of falling over backwards and losing its Malay-Muslim identity to appease its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition partner, DAP.The former prime minister claimed that PAS was even willing to drop its call for an Islamic state and defend Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, whom he called the father of DAP.Dr Mahathir made the comments in a blog post today that questioned the Islamist partys commitment to Malays.He warned the community that PAS only coveted their votes but did not care about their problems, suggesting that the Islamist party was more concerned about helping DAP.Before becoming allies with DAP, PAS members held on stronger to Malay culture. But to support DAP, they have set aside their Malayness. Even the call for an Islamic state is no longer heard, the former prime minister wrote today.This comes just days after PAS moved to address internal concerns that it was losing support among Malays, by holding a convention promising to protect the interests of the countrys largest racial grouping should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) take power.The convention was held after a string of successive defeats to Umno in recent by-elections, sparking concerns that the Barisan Nasional (BN) party had gained momentum in winning back the support of Malay-Muslim voters from PAS.Today, Dr Mahathir noted that PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had claimed Umnos Malay nationalism ideology was a rejection of Islam when the latter had been asked to comment about Lees call for Singaporean Muslims to be less strict in observing their religion.When the father of DAP called for Muslims to relax their observance of Islamic teachings, Nik Aziz did not reject it because he believes that this call is not as bad as the nationalism of U! mno Musl ims, the former Umno president said.Dr Mahathir added that instead of PAS introducing Islamic ways to DAP, as the Kelantan mentri besar had claimed, the evidence shows that it is PAS that has been influenced by DAP.Just look at the disrespectful behaviour towards the Sultan and Raja Muda of Perak by PAS members, rolling around on the road to stop his car, he said, referring to attempts to block Datuk Seri Zambry Kadirs swearing in as Perak mentri besar of in 2009.He also warned Malays that Nik Azizs statement over the weekend of prioritising Malays was an about-face because PAS needed the votes of the majority community in Malaysia.Meet Nik Aziz, a man who prioritises Malay votes, not the problems in their lives.Now, Nik Aziz wants Malays to be prioritised because they are the majority community in the country. It is not their problems that have caused Nik Aziz to change his stand towards his own race but because Malays are the majority and he needs their votes, nothing more than that, Dr Mahathir had written today.