GE14 | Kelantan’s Cempaka candidate Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz’s entry into Pakatan Harapan could break PAS’ iron grip on Islamic politics, said an analyst.

Political analyst Mazlan Ali said Malays who are pro-Islam or have Islamic aspirations are now faced with the question if PAS is the only party that can advance such goals.

Nik Omar, the second son of the revered late PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat was immediately sacked from the Islamist party on Saturday after submitting his nomination as a Harapan candidate under Amanah.

Mazlan said presently, Amanah, a PAS splinter, has positioned itself as such a platform but they still have not gained the community’s confidence if they can match PAS.

“There are many who are still fixated on the doctrine that only PAS can advance Islam, no one else, not even Amanah.

“When Nik Omar, a son who is very close with the late tok guru (Nik Aziz) chooses Harapan, that means the doctrine of PAS’ has been broken,” he told Malaysiakini when sharing his views on Nik Omar’s surprising switch of allegiance.

The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Perdana School’s senior lecturer said Nik Omar taking on his father’s traditional Chempaka seat could set forth a second wave of support for Harapan in the 14th general election.

The first wave took place when PAS’ progressives, who were obliterated by the ulama faction in the heated muktamar of 2015, quit en masse to form Amanah, bringing with them a significant number of supporters and party members.

“Nik Omar has vanquished all doubts previously harboured, that had frightened them from supporting any party apart from PAS.

“If someone as devout as Nik Omar can join Amanah, then who are we?

“The Nik Omar wave will combine with (Harapan chairperson) Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wave, and smash the Malay great wall in the rural areas that have thus far been the opposition bloc’s main obstacle,” he said.

He said this trend is evident now with joint gatherings with Mahathir and Nik Omar.

“I believe Nik Omar will have a large impact on the entire country, in terms of people who are pro-Islam who had been undecided whether they could, or should vote for Amanah instead of PAS,” he said.

'Reverse Islamic tsunami’

PAS, irked by Nik Omar’s move on Saturday, immediately condemned his act as being an “insult” to the “political stand” of the Nik Aziz family.

Nik Aziz was the key to PAS’ participation in the former Pakatan Rakyat coalition that triggered the political tsunami of 2008 that saw BN losing five states.

His death saw the pact falling apart due to animosity between PAS’ ulama faction and the component parties DAP and PKR.

Meanwhile, Hew Wai Weng of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) concurred with Mazlan, saying PAS' earlier claim they would see an ‘Islamic tsunami’ in favour of the Islamist party might turn out to be the opposite.

“As recent developments have hinted, there might be a reverse ‘Islamic tsunami’.

“As (they are) upset by the party’s warming relations with Umno and its confusing electoral strategy, some PAS supporters are considering to vote for Harapan.

“The endorsement of Nik Omar, the eldest son of tok guru Nik Aziz, might further stimulate such sentiments among PAS supporters,” he wrote on his Facebook yesterday.

He said Nik Omar's move has given “strong religious credentials” to Harapan, especially with the weight of his father's reputation amongst PAS supporters.

“It does not only have a great impact in Kelantan, but might also play an influential role in convincing more PAS supporters in other states to vote Harapan,” he said, but wondered if the tide would turn enough to hand the opposition coalition an electoral win.