It would be reminiscent of the infamous election scam on the eve of the 1990 general elections, when Tengku Razaleigh was accused of having sold out the Malay race and betrayed Islam for wearing a Kadazan headgear purportedly with a Christian cross - which of course was not true.
In this sense, it is better that this irresponsible ploy took place now than during the next general election campaign, as there is still time at present for the whole trickery to be exposed.
However, PAS and the Barisan Alternative must admit and accept that despite the explanations that the PAS Pahang State Assembly leader Idris Omar had never said in the Pahang State Assembly on Wednesday that PAS would destroy all Buddhist and Kuan Kung statues and that the MCA State Assemblyman for Indera Mahkota Ti Lean Ker was acting in a most irresponsible, unprincipled and despicable manner in making such a baseless allegation, a lot of damage had been caused by the headlines and prominent coverage in the Chinese press.
Although the MCA had been found out to be spreading untruths creating alarm, fear, outrage and condemnation among the non-Muslims and the non-Malays, the MCA had achieved its wicked objective as all the damages created by MCA against PAS, DAP and the Barisan Alternative cannot be completely undone. The image of DAP, PAS and Barisan Alternative had suffered at the end of the day as compared to before the PAS Idris “uproar”.
This “dirty tricks” episode should be urgent reminder to PAS and Barisan Alternative leaders to urgently address the concerns and fears of non-Muslims and non-Malays about PAS’ commitment to their rights and sensitivities particularly arising from the Islamic State issue.
The supreme objective of the Barisan Nasional and in particular its non-Malay and non-Muslim components, like MCA, Gerakan, MIC and SUPP is to seek to reduce the next general election into a choice by the Malaysian voters between two goals - an Islamic state or a secular state.
If the Barisan Nasional strategists and propagandists succeed in reducing the next general elelction into a choice between an Islamic State or d a secular state, then it will mark the end of the Barisan Alternative.
The success or failure of the Barisan Alternative will to a large extent depend on how the Barisan Alternative leaders handle and resolve this very difficult political question so as to convince the people that despite the differences among the BA parties - and the Islamic State issue represents one great difference between the DAP and PAS - the platform the Barisan Alternative is seeking popular support are the common objectives to restore justice, freedom, democracy and good governance and that there is no ulterior objective of an Islamic State.
If the Barisan Alternative cannot find a winning formula to address and allay the legitimate concerns and fears about an Islamic state and PAS’ commitment and respect to the rights and sensitivies of the non-Malays and non-Muslims, then the Barisan Nasional could be quite assured of being returned to power in the next general election.
(5/5/2001)