Kuala Lumpur – The proposed alliance between UMNO and PAS, even before it can materialise, is already opening up heated debates among BN component parties. The proposed alliance has not stirred much debates among BN component parties in Sabah and Sarawak but definitely MCA and MIC are caught in the middle.
MCA is the party which is now in an awkward position. MCA leaders were constantly criticizing DAP for its alliance with PAS through Pakatan Rakyat (PR). But now DAP has severed its ties with PAS and PR is in shambles. If UMNO-PAS alliance is in place, then MCA will be faced with a barrage of criticisms from DAP.
Only PKR is trying to keep its ties with PAS and the shaky alliance between them is still working well in Selangor. Even then PKR will have to make a decision on their pact with PAS if the party decides to join hands with UMNO.
MIC Welcomes
Meanwhile, it is a blessing in disguise for MIC as far as the UMNO-PAS alliance is concerned. The party has always won comfortably in Malay majority seats but in the last two general elections MIC was dealt with severe blows in those seats, because the Malay votes went to the PKR-PAS alliance through Pakatan Rakyat.
If UMNO and PAS forge an alliance then it might become easier for MIC to win back some of their seats with the support of the Malay voters.
In welcoming the ties between PAS and UMNO, MIC President Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam cautioned it should not affect the relationship between the current BN component parties.
“MIC is not against any election cooperation between the two parties concerned” Subramaniam told the media yesterday but further said “MIC will still voice out against certain policies of PAS during the BN supreme council meeting. Some of the policies which PAS have, we do not agree. So we will put forward our stance very clearly in BN”
Dr Subra also said the issue needs to be studied further.
BN-PAS alliance may help MIC to garner some Malay votes and may help them to win back some of their state and parliament seats but in the process there could be also a backlash from the Indian community. Within the Indian community, MIC may have to do lot of answering to justify their cooperation with PAS as a sizeable section of the Indian community is against the policies of PAS including that of the Hudud laws.
However, it may be too early to arrive at any conclusions as the possibility of PAS and UMNO coming together on common grounds is a very remote possibility.
-R.Mutharasan
