Stop the muzakarah, Nik Aziz tells PAS leaders

Political ideology is like a guarding light without which a political party, its leaders and the country roam and gropes in the dark.

Fundamentally, the political ideology of PAS and UMNO are conflicting as they are different from one another. These differences are natural as conflict is natural in human and particularly political relations.

Ironically, birds of the same feathers flock together, while those who share another set of views will come together at the other end of the continuum, thus Muzakarah (dialogue) between the PAS and UMNO, is claimed to be a good political strategy and agenda but it causes suspicion of the motive of UMNO.

Hence, the interesting question arises: Can the political parties resolve the ideological conflict and merge together?

PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat wants the muzakarah (dialogue) between the party and UMNO to stop.

He said the party grassroots were unsettled with the dialogue.

He added that nothing was expected to materialize from such talks because both parties had different ideologies, namely one was an Islamist party while the other was based on nationalism.

Nik Aziz pointed out that the talks that UMNO president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had with three PAS decision-makers on the issue of Malays and Islam were of a personal nature rather than formal party-to-party discussions.

“It is really nothing. It is the media that played it up. I leave it to the party to decide the next course but we must admit that such things leave our grassroots, PKR and DAP unsettled,” he told a press conference.

Nik Aziz said this would be the last time he would comment on the dialogue. Asked when would be a good time for such a dialogue, he said probably after the general election in 2013 or much later.

He refused to say if PAS was now split in view of the differing versions from various leaders.

Nik Aziz warned that PAS should be careful not to be trapped by Umno, which was now weak and needed to create some form of diversion from the party’s internal issues.

“My wish is that soon UMNO would become the Opposition in the country. Those who want to can join PAS,” he said.