I refer to Khairull Anuar Jamlus' ' PAS can help check BN government '. He has written very persuasively but sorry, many of us just don't buy the remote possibility of PAS ever acting for all Malaysians, even as an opposition party.

Every little centimetre we permit PAS to encroach into the political arena of power, we would be actually introducing at least a metre of a dictatorial political party into possible government. You know the poem:

Little drops of water

Little grains of sand

Make the mighty ocean

And the PAS' unpleasant land

(With apologies to Julia AF Carney)

Khairull stated that "the continued participation of PAS in the democratic process in their struggle for Islamic laws should be much welcomed as it discourages Muslim activists to be involved in more dangerous militant organisations". He must be joking! PAS is itself already a dangerous party for the peace, progress and democracy of Malaysia and Malaysians.

In fact, if anybody, PAS is the one party that requires checking, for most Malaysians' peace of mind.

The problem is that once PAS is in federal power, it will remove the very democratic process that it is currently enjoying and exploiting for its political ascendancy. Theocratic political parties are no different from those of a fascist or communist kind; they do not tolerate any form or shade of dissent - full stop!

To compare PAS' no-comprise theocratic approach with the educational aspiration of some Chinese Malaysians is not only disgenious but an absolute travesty of fairness. The former wants to shove their own interpreted religious practices down everyone's throat regardless of the recipients' willingness or religious affiliations, while the latter desires the availability of an alternative educational approach for only those who seek it. The former is oppressive, dictatorial and religiously fascist while the latter is for democratic choice.

While I can understand why Khairull is rooting for PAS, I can't with regards to Keadilan's Tian Chua, who recently boasted that the Barisan Alternatif (BA), but with PAS as the dominant partner, would be capable of seizing political power in Kedah. What Tian Chua did not mention is that the PAS-controlled BA as a state government would consequently impose Islamic law in

that state. Is this what Tian Chua wants for all Malaysians? In this, Keadilan is worse than PAS for not willing to commit itself to its position on the PAS aim of converting Malaysia into an Islamic state.

The pathetic state of the PAS-Keadilan relationship has been confirmed by none other than Fariz Musa , Keadilan Youth chief in Terengganu. He described how PAS has been treating Keadilan unfairly in the allocation of state and parliamentary seats to contest in the next general election. What had galled him was that Keadilan's top executives have meekly accepted abang besar's (big brother's) decision.

And to add insult to Keadilan's injury, Musa has been absolutely livid that PAS has the effrontery to question Keadilan's choice of candidates even for those political 'crumbs' the former had deigned to cast to Tian Chua's party. What a sorry state Keadilan is in today. How far has the once-mighty fallen!

Keadilan has only itself to blame for its disgraceful position and total lack of political dignity. It claims to be a multicultural party but its continuing silence and gutless stance on such an important issue as PAS' avowal to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state that may affect the freedom and lifestyle of Malaysians does not deserve our votes. A vote for Keadilan is but a vote for PAS!