COMMENTARY, Oct 8 — PAS is now a recognised political force in Sabah, with the appointment of its liaison committee secretary Dr Aliakbar Gulasan as one of six assemblymen appointed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today.
The Islamist party can start fufilling its objective of educating Sabahans on Islamic teachings and practices, and expand its influence in the state instead of just being a reserve player watching from the sidelines.
The party stayed out of the recently-concluded state election, allowing its partner Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) led by peninsula-based Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to campaign on a platform that largely ignored religious issues, which likely contributed to its victory.
It would have been a different scenario if PAS had contested alongside BN and GRS as religion is a sensitive matter in close-knit, multi-racial, multi-tribal and multi-religious Sabah.
Prior to Dr Aliakbar’s appointment, several Opposition leaders had urged Hajiji not to name anyone from PAS as appointed assemblyman since the party did not contest the state poll.
The inclusion of PAS in the state assembly on the government bench will not be viewed kindly by Sabahans who did not vote for BN and GRS as this new twist is set to change the state's political landscape forever.
Nonetheless, the party has pockets of followers — many of whom are young educated Sabahans — who can spread its message now that the state government has given it much-needed recognition.
The Islamist party has made several attempts to make inroads into Sabah and Sarawak since the early 80s but failed due to the different cultural and religious backgrounds of the states compared to the peninsula.
Religion isn’t necessarily a priority in both states either, as people are more concerned about bread and butter issues.
Now that the party has been given a chance to chart its political path in Sabah, its leaders will have to be team players that do not rock the boat because right now, the new government is more concerned with developing the state as a whole.
But what PAS can do is to prepare for the coming general election where it will surely be contesting alongside the ruling party. Campaigning will also be more intense as religion may become a key talking point.
As a result, unless the party changes its approach and methods while attempting to spread its influence, PAS may end up burdening its allies at the ballot box because the stakes will be much higher.
