Mufti plays role of mediator
INSIGHT: By JOCELINE TAN
Malay unity is making headlines again and this time no less than the influential Mufti of Perak, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, is the hottest topic of political chatter.
TAN Sri Harussani Zakaria, the outspoken Mufti of Perak, is no stranger to controversy. But he may have stepped up to his most controversial role yet in offering himself as the mediator in forging peace and cooperation between Umno and PAS.
His call for Malay unity came with the dire prediction that, unless they unite, the Malays are in danger of losing power in the next general election.
It was a highly political statement from a mufti. It went down well with Umno but he is now under heavy fire from PAS leaders and supporters.
But he is not in the least flustered.
“I am not taking sides with anybody. What I say is what I believe is for the good of Muslims and our beliefs,” he said.
Harussani was the rallying figure at a gathering of the Gagasan Melayu Perak (GMP or Perak Malay Movement) last weekend. GMP is one of those Malay rights groups that have been part of the post-2008 political landscape.
Or as Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah sees it, these groups are part of the emerging third force in civil society who want a say on the future of the nation.
Like Perkasa and the Terengganu-based Gertak, GMP champions all things Malay – Malay rights, the royalty, Islam, Bahasa Malaysia and Malay culture. Its functions are often preceded by a display of Malay silat. Its membership also tends to overlap with that of Umno. Thus, it was not suprising that PAS saw red when Harussani lent his weight to GMP.
Harussani is a very influential ulama and his support for the Malay unity cause probably set off alarm bells in PAS.
PAS leaders from Perak rejected outright his peace mediation offer and told him to stick to his duties as mufti. They also do not see PAS going into any unity arrangement with Umno.
Malay unity is a notion that has been blowing hot and cold over the decades without amounting to much.
“They oppose us; then they want to unite with us. They are what we call gila talak, you know, quarrel, divorce and reconcile over and over again,” said Asmuni Awi, the PAS central committee member from Perak.
Yet it was barely a year or so ago that several top leaders in PAS were toying with the idea of a unity government with Umno. So what is going on?
Some said PAS had been ready to talk with a Pak Lah-led Umno. They felt comfortable with the laidback Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
But Umno under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is a different kettle of fish altogether. Najib is a seasoned player. He is not surrounded by a bunch of young and inexperienced advisors, he knows the game and he means to win.
Moreover, PAS and its Pakatan Rakyat partners have been deeply distrustful of Umno after the Perak takeover. That episode in the state’s history also caused a rift between them and Harussani who stood by the Perak Sultan’s decision on the takeover.
The Perak Mufti had played a pivotal role because the chain of events in Perak would have been vastly different had he taken his moral endorsement elsewhere.
“What they want to say about me is up to them. I’m only doing my duty as a mufti,” Harussani said of the way PAS has turned on him. He said he accepted the invitation to speak at the GMP’s gathering because he agreed with their goal of Malay and Muslim unity.
“I am not playing politics. I am 71, too old for politics,” he said.
Motives questioned
The question being asked now is, how real is this push for Malay unity?
As Asmuni pointed out, Umno only talks about Malay unity when its support is on the decline, as in 1990 when it lost Kelantan and in 1999 when Malays deserted the party after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking.
“When it did well in 2004, there was nothing about Malay unity,” he said.
Some see it as a ploy to dilute the PAS influence among Malays, to stop them from giving their votes to PKR or even DAP in the next elections.
However, said publisher Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, the Malay sense of discomfit and fear of losing political control is very real.
The Malay right wing is still struggling to deal with the ascendancy of new and especially non-Malay voices in the political arena.
While there are some who are critical of PAS’ alliance with the DAP, whom they see as a Chinese chauvinist party, others are still unsure of the 1Malaysia idea which they think will lead to an erosion of Malays rights.
“There is a lot of chatter going on among Malays, a lot of concern about the position of the Malays and Islam,” said Kadir.
PAS and Umno, he said, are making a mistake if they ignore such chatter and the activities of these Malay groups.
“The fact that the membership of these groups overlap with that of established political parties is a sign that there are Malays out there who feel that the stance of established parties is not in tangent with Malay and Muslim concerns.
“Otherwise, how do you explain Malay academics, intellectuals and businessmen rallying around this man called Ibrahim Ali?”
Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa have been attacked from all sides but his ultra-Malay message has resonated among a segment of Malays.
Of late, Ibrahim has taken to sending out text messages with the heading “Dari Jaguh Kampung” (from the kampung hero). When he returned to his Pasir Mas constituency recently, his supporters staged a hero’s welcome for him and carried him on a pedestal.
Others like Juhaidi Yean Abdullah, a former aide to an Umno minister, viewed the Malay unity effort as the Malay way of giving notice to the non-Malays “to not push them to the limit because the Malays can be a big and powerful group.”
Exploring peace
For Umno politician Dr Faizal Tajuddin, anything that fosters unity is good. He sees Harussani’s encouragement to explore peace and unity among the Malays as part of Islamic teaching.
“His concerns are justified. If you follow the political discussion on the Internet, there is so much hatred that it’s scary. It’s virtual but it’s also a reflection of society. There are instances in Perak where one side refuses to attend the other side’s kenduri, things we thought happened only elsewhere,” said Dr Faizal who is from Pasir Salak, Perak.
Some in PAS have accused Harussani of being the “Jaguh Umno” or Umno hero. He has been making news in Harakah almost daily over the last one week.
Even Ahmad Awang, a fellow Perakian and schoolmate from Kolej Islam Malaya, has been involved in a running battle with him on the Internet
“He is sincere but his argument is too Malay-based. What he is saying is more about Umno unity than Malay unity,” said Ahmad who is a former PAS vice-president.
The irony is that Harussani was seen as pro-PAS for the most part of his career as the Perak Mufti which began in 1992.
He was regarded as too independent and conservative. He was then seen as hostile to Umno because he was one of the few government-employed ulama who would criticise the policies of the Mahathir administration.
But he commanded such respect among Muslims in the state that no one could touch him.
“He is a powerful religious figure. Any Malay political party would want him on its side. You could say we lost him during Tun Mahathir’s time,” said Juhaidi.
He has also made news for the right and wrong reasons. For instance, he caused a huge sensation with his claim about mass apostasy (which turned out to be baseless) and about how Bollywood movies promoted negative values.
The beauty of all that is the Perak royal house took all of it in its stride; and that may explain his loyalty to the sovereign in the latter’s moment of need.
More recently, he has been all fire and brimstone in opposing the sports betting licence. Earlier last week, he lent his two-cents worth to the argument that Malays should not wear football jerseys with the symbol of the crucifix or the “Red Devils” slogan.
“He will voice his opinion regardless of the political party and he was so angry about the gambling issue. All the mosques in Perak took the cue from him, you should have heard the sermons on Friday,” said Dr Faizal.
Despite his fierce appearance, Harussani is very accessible, is not afraid of tough questions and speaks good English because he is one of the few ulama who had gone to an English-medium school. He can be hard-hitting and intimidating but he is not without his own sense of humour.
But the PAS love affair with Harussani waned after the 2008 elections.
He had played a role in trying to forge a PAS-Umno coalition government in Perak when the state fell to Pakatan, with DAP in pole position. His concern over Malay unity, political power and the paramount position of Islam was apparent even then.
He is no longer the darling of PAS.
The Malay unity idea, said former Abim president Yusri Mohamed, will remain largely an idea.
“It would be really good if it happens but I don’t see Umno and PAS coming to any consensus. Both have the interests of Muslims at heart but the political divide is too great,” said Yusri.
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