PAS often emphasizes the issue of wala’ (loyalty), but within the party itself, loyalty is still lacking. They want even higher levels of wala’, perhaps as preparation to become the federal government. Because, as the saying goes, “where there’s sugar, there will be many ants.” Surely, we begin with PAS. This week is PAS’s week, indeed. Firstly, it must be loyalty for the sake of loyalty.
This is a statement from the PAS president himself. Explicitly, that’s what it means. But implicitly, people can see that loyalty is a problem. Members are demanded to show absolute loyalty, yet there are PAS members themselves who do not obey the president or the leadership. So, what more kind of loyalty do they want? Yes, this is the phase PAS is going through.
I think especially the younger wala’-types on social media—they’ll attack you from every angle, shifting arguments just to defend that everything PAS does is holy. I don’t think they even study history. Because PAS has been through this before—when they held power for a long time. Those cultures seeped into PAS. For example, they ruled Kelantan from 1959 until 1978. Between 1974 and 1978, PAS was even part of the federal government. At that time, Kelantan was rich.
People now often say Kelantan is victimized, but they forget that in the 1960s and 1970s, Kelantan was wealthy because of its timber. Other states were still agricultural and didn’t have much timber. So back then, if you wanted an easy life in Kelantan, you had to side with PAS, not UMNO. Over time, factions emerged, leading to clashes, even attempts to topple each other. Eventually, PAS lost power in 1978. That’s why I say the current loyalty isn’t enough.
Blind Loyalty can cause trouble
They demand even greater loyalty—again, as preparation for federal power, where “where there is sugar, there will be ants.” The problem will persist and grow within PAS itself and nationally. PKR went through this too—it’s really a test of power. For example, in 1999, during the Pakatan Rakyat days, PAS won in Terengganu. Najadi became the Chief Minister for the first time.
People talked a lot about that one term. By 2004, PAS lost again. At that time, Excos suddenly had six or seven cars parked in front of their houses. Because besides being Excos, they were also chairmen of state-owned companies, each giving them a car. PAS assemblymen, who were previously simple religious teachers, suddenly had modest houses with luxury cars parked outside. These things will happen again if PAS comes to power. So perhaps in that context, as Najadi mentioned, loyalty has already become a problem now.
Members are pressured for blind loyalty, but you can’t control everyone. What I find ironic is that the grassroots—those cyber troopers who curse people online every day, who fight on lives and comment sections—these are the ones who will end up disappointed. Because the leaders at the top will live comfortably and luxuriously, while the grassroots fight endlessly for them. And still, despite all their efforts, the leadership says it’s not enough loyalty.
That’s why I joked: maybe PAS should change its name from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party to the Pan-Malaysian Loyalty Party (Parti Walak Semalaysia).
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