Battle for Islam UMNO and Pas are locked in a struggle for the Malay soul.

The outcome may irrevocably change Malaysian society By SANGWON SUH and SANTHA OORJITHAM Kuala Trengganu

For a party often considered a collection of fuddy-duddy old men in skullcaps, its muktamar (general assembly) this year was a surprisingly stylish affair. Held in Kuala Trengganu from June 1 to 4, the assembly for the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas) saw delegates housed in five-star hotels and carrying upmarket Bonia-brand bags, instead of the usual Manila paper envelopes. The opening speech by party president Fadzil Mohamed Noor also marked a departure from convention. In talking about globalization and information technology, he sounded more like the CEO of a multinational company than the leader of a conservative Islamic party whose ultimate goal is to establish a theocratic state governed by shariah laws.

"The marriage of the telecommunication and satellite technology with the all-empowering computers has wired the world into a global village where no nation is able to remain outside its realm and reach," he declared. "Pas shall continue to assess and address the impact of globalization, in so far as it affects the development of a better Malaysia and a better world." Notes a Western diplomat: "He was taking a world view instead of focusing on Pas and the Malays. He was speaking as president of a party which may rule one day."

Pas, leading a government in Malaysia? Such a scenario may seem a touch fanciful in a country that has effectively been led by one party -- the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) -- for over four decades. But the notion is not as laughable as it might have been a few years ago. The Nov. 29 general elections proved to be a watershed moment for Pas. While the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition easily clinched a three-quarter majority in Parliament, Pas not only held on to Kelantan, until then the only state in opposition hands, but also added neighboring Trengganu to its belt. It displaced the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP), a fellow member of the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front) alliance, as the leading opposition party. Perhaps most significantly, it succeeded in winning over a large segment of Malay voters, more than half of whom turned to the opposition, partly in protest against the government treatment of ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Malays are the country's predominant ethnic group, accounting for about 55% of the population. Together with other indigenous groups, they are called bumiputras ("sons of the soil") and have been afforded special economic and educational benefits. They have long been considered the bedrock upon which UMNO stands, but now the party's monopolistic grip on this key constituency is

being challenged by Pas. Thus, a heated political battle is raging in Malaysia's Muslim heartland -- in the northern Malay belt states of Trengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.

http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0616/sr.main.html

Bagi parti yang sering dianggap koleksi Guo lelaki tua di kopiah, muktamar (perhimpunan agung) tahun ini adalah satu perkara yang menghairankan bergaya. Diadakan di Kuala Trengganu dari 1 Jun hingga 4, perhimpunan untuk pembangkang Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) melihat wakil-wakil yang ditempatkan di hotel lima bintang dan membawa kelas atasan jenama Bonia beg, bukan kertas biasa sampul surat Manila. Ucapan perasmian oleh presiden parti Fadzil Mohamed Noor juga menandakan berlepas dari konvensyen. Dalam bercakap tentang globalisasi dan teknologi maklumat, beliau berbunyi lebih seperti Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif sebuah syarikat multinasional daripada pemimpin sebuah parti Islam konservatif yang utama matlamat adalah untuk menubuhkan sebuah negara teokratik yang ditadbir oleh undang-undang syariah

"Perkahwinan telekomunikasi dan teknologi satelit dengan komputer semua-memperkasakan telah berwayar dunia ke dalam sebuah kampung global di mana negara tidak mampu untuk kekal luar bidang dan mencapai," katanya diisytiharkan. "Pas akan terus untuk menilai dan menangani kesan globalisasi, setakat kerana ia boleh menjejaskan pembangunan Malaysia yang lebih baik dan sebuah dunia yang lebih baik." Nota seorang diplomat Barat: "Beliau telah mengambil pandangan dunia dan bukannya memberi tumpuan kepada Pas dan Melayu. Beliau berkata demikian sebagai presiden parti yang boleh memerintah satu hari."

Pas, mengetuai kerajaan di Malaysia? Senario sedemikian mungkin kelihatan sentuhan khayalan di sebuah negara yang telah berkesan telah dipimpin oleh satu parti - Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu (UMNO) selama lebih empat dekad. Tetapi tanggapan tidak adalah seperti yang menggelikan kerana ia mungkin telah beberapa tahun yang lalu. Pilihan raya umum 29 november terbukti menjadi titik untuk Pas. Walaupun UMNOBarisan Nasional yang dipimpin pakatan mudah meraih majoriti tiga suku di Parlimen, Pas bukan sahaja dipegang ke Kelantan, sehingga kemudian negeri hanya di tangan pembangkang, tetapi juga menambah jiran Trengganu tali pinggang itu. Ia disesarkan Parti Tindakan Demokratik didominasi Cina (DAP), ahli fellow pakatan Barisan Alternatif (Barisan Alternatif), sebagai parti pembangkang utama. Mungkin yang paling ketara, ia berjaya memenangi lebih segmen besar pengundi Melayu, lebih separuh daripada mereka beralih kepada pembangkang, sebahagiannya dalam protes terhadap rawatan kerajaan bekas timbalan perdana menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.