What, PAS? Contesting 11 seats but only want to win one!

OPINION: The Tunku Mahkota of Johor had stated that the federal Cabinet should be trimmed in order to rid the nation of some ministers who are considered a “joke”.

Many Malaysians will agree with the Johor Crown Prince for indeed, the present Cabinet is over-bloated and some of its members are “unfit” to be ministers. In the prince’s words, they are mere “jokers”.

But many politicians outside the BN could also be described as jokers. Many do make a lot of illogical and contradictory statements, like the recent remarks on the coming Sarawak elections from a senior PAS leader, Mustafa Ali.

In a Malay Mail Online report on Feb 1, Mustafa said that PAS would be contesting 11 seats in the elections but was confident of winning only one seat.

In a press conference after its political bureau meeting that day, the PAS elections director said the Islamist party is not aiming to win all the 11 state seats it is contesting, but believes it will win at least one.

“We have confidence but we know we may not be able to win in all the seats … but God willing for the first time, we will get our own first representative,” Mustafa said, referring to the Sarawak state legislative assembly.

Now, is that a joke? Isn’t that a dumb statement? The party wants to contest in 11 seats but only hopes to win one.

If that is the level of confidence, wouldn’t it be more realistic for PAS to just concentrate in one seat. That makes more sense, does it not?

I’m not sure how Jofri Jaraiee, the Sarawak PAS Commissioner, will take such a statement from his seniors in Kuala Lumpur.

Jofri is one dedicated PAS leader in Sarawak. He has been consistent in bringing up issues in the state although he is not an elected representative. He has also been regularly issuing press statements and ensuring that as many people get to hear and read what he says.

Jofri’s senior party leaders in Malaya are not helping him at all. The recent statement from his president, Abdul Hadi Awang, mocking Christian missionaries could very well sound the death blow for PAS in Sarawak.

This is the problem when good politicians in Sarawak are attached to Malayan-based parties.

Jofri would probably feel like asking his leaders to shut up but out of respect and loyalty to them, he would prefer to suffer in silence.

If that’s the case, I don’t expect him to make any headway as a politician.

Certainly not with PAS!-The Ant Daily