Published by Malaysiakini, images from Malaysiakini.
I wrote recently that PAS has lost both its moral and political compass.
What it appears to have gained instead, is a surprisingly sharp instinct for political communication.
I also wrote recently that the first rule of political communication is ‘do not let your adversaries set the agenda’ and that the best defence is a good offence.
PAS appears to have taken this very much to heart.
At a point in time, in which they should be drowning in scandal, PAS has somehow managed to set the agenda and determine the narrative of political discourse in the country.
As someone who studies the art of political communication with great interest, I am very impressed by this accomplishment.
By way of a quick recap, the two scandals that should be dominating discourse around PAS was the manner in which they tucked tail and settled the lawsuit against Clare Rewcastle-Brown of Sarawak Report, who accused PAS of receiving RM90 million from Umno, and the manner in which central committee member Nik Abduh Nik Aziz (photo) was caught making bald-faced lies when he denied that the voice of an individual admitting that PAS took money from Umno belonged to him.
These are scandals that should, by right, sink PAS, and tarnish its image almost beyond repair.
Yet, how is it that media discourse today is being dominated, not by how PAS has done unethical things that it hid from their party rank and file, but by wild and nonsensical accusations that PAS is making?
These accusations include Nik Abduh’s ridiculous suggestion that PAS, Umno and Bersatu team up to form a government on their own, as well as PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi’s farcical suggestion that if DAP does not back Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for a full term in power, this constitutes proof that there is a coup against Mahathir in the works.
Breaking rule number one
One reason why rumours about such a coup are reaching the front pages is plain and simple: Harapan politicians are breaking rule number one of political communication and dancing to their opponent’s tune.
They are practically falling over themselves to hit back at the likes of Khalil and Nik Abduh, shouting loudly and waving their hands wildly in the air, making point after point in response to these wild allegations.
In this short period of time, we have seen rather defensive responses from Amanah’s president Mohamad Sabu and vice-president Mahfuz Omar, as well as from DAP’s Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy and assemblyperson Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof.
What they fail to realise is that trying too hard to refute allegations is one of the most effective ways of giving power and credence to these allegations.
The recent discourse around former Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has centred around his new persona as a ‘troll’. The discussion on trolling is relevant here as well.
In political communication, effective trolling is when you get your opponent riled up and angry, and induce him to start talking about things you want him to be talking about – instead of things you would prefer him not to talk about.
Whenever your opponent looks angry and agitated, you look better in comparison. And when he is talking about topics of your choice, you’re focusing public attention on things you want public attention focused on.
These comments are not purely theoretical in nature, but are borne of our own experience from being in the opposition and those brief moments in time when trolling BN politicians was nearly a full-time endeavour.
Attack, not defend
Mohamad Sabu’s comment was that this was just an attempt by PAS to distract from their own problems. This is true, but that headline is nowhere near strong enough, and was also used as a weak and ineffective response by BN politicians when they were in government.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution (photo) did a bit better when he characterised PAS as practising wiper politics (a laudably imaginative metaphor), with regard to their contradictory stances regarding who they support politically.
This brings to mind George W Bush accusing John Kerry of constantly flip-flopping, perhaps one of the more memorable and effective attacks of the 2004 US presidential elections.
Saifuddin is on the right track in ignoring PAS’ attacks – responding to which should never take more than one or two sentences – and pressing PAS instead on areas in which it is weak and vulnerable.
The leader of an Islamist party telling outright lies in public? Taking money from Umno secretly while condemning Umno? Flip-flopping between supporting and fighting Mahathir?
Even for the most amateur of political communicators, making worthwhile political hay from these scandals should be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Attack in public, fix in private
While Harapan should continue pressing these points about PAS in public, in private it should look to its own weaknesses and fix its vulnerabilities.
It is no coincidence that PAS is trying to widen cracks within Harapan, because it is there that Harapan is most vulnerable.
The biggest challenge facing Harapan today may well be maintaining political unity.
The reason Nik Abduh and Khalil are making such outlandish suggestions is because Harapan internal unity is not yet fully convincing.
So many factions within Harapan are pulling in different political directions; when there is even the smallest crack visible, a good political communicator is able to make that molehill into a mountain.
With Bersatu’s acceptance of Umno MPs, their move into Sabah, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s manoeuvrings and semi-obsession with Mahathir, and other such moves in the dark, the raw material is there.
Harapan should plug these leaks and vulnerabilities in private, and start getting much, much savvier at political communication in public.
Nathaniel Tan is Director of Media & Communications at EMIR Research, an independent think-tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based upon rigorous research.
Diterbitkan oleh EMIR Research.
Baru-baru ini saya ada menulis bahawa PAS telah kehilangan moral dan arah tuju politik mereka.
Namun kini, mereka secara tiba-tiba memperolehi kemahiran dalam komunikasi politik.
Saya juga kebelakangan ini ada menulis bahawa hukum pertama dalam komunikasi politik, adalah: jangan membiarkan musuh menetapkan agenda anda, dan menyerang adalah cara bertahan yang terbaik (the best defense is a good offense).
PAS dilihat agak pandai mengikut hukum ini.
Sepatutnya mereka sudah tenggelam dengan skandal-skandal yang tular; sebaliknya PAS berjaya menetapkan agenda dan menentukan wacana naratif politik dalam negara.
Sebagai seorang yang menekuni seni komunikasi politik, saya boleh katakan, ini satu pencapaian yang mengagumkan.
Secara ringkas, 2 skandal yang seharusnya mendominasi perbualan mengenai PAS adalah cara mereka menikus dan menyelesaikan tuntutan mahkamah terhadap Claire Rewcastle-Brown yang telah menuduh PAS menerima RM 90 juta daripada Umno, serta cara ahli jawatankuasa pusat PAS, Nik Abduh Nik Aziz ditangkap menipu secara terang-terangan apabila beliau menafikan suara individu yang mengakui PAS menerima wang daripada Umno adalah milik beliau.
Ini merupakan skandal yang sepatutnya menenggelamkan PAS, dan mencemarkan imej mereka.
Namun, bagaimana perbualan hari ini didominasi bukan dengan skandal-skandal PAS yang disembunyikan daripada akar umbi PAS, tetapi dengan kenyataan-kenyataan liar dan tidak masuk akal yang dibuat oleh PAS.
Kenyataan ini termasuk cadangan Nik Abduh bahawa PAS, Umno dan Bersatu harus bergabung untuk menubuhkan kerajaan, serta kenyataan karut Ketua Pemuda PAS Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi bahawa jika DAP tidak menyokong Perdana Menteri Mahathir Mohamad menjadi Perdana Menteri sehingga PRU 15, ini bermaksud DAP ingin merampas kuasa daripada Mahathir.
Melanggar Hukum Pertama
Khabar angin tentang rampasan kuasa ini terpampang di muka depan kerana ahli-ahli politik Harapan melanggar hukum pertama komunikasi politik, dan terikut-ikut rentak lawan mereka.
Mereka boleh dikatakan menempah maut ke atas diri mereka apabila bersusah-payah menjawab orang-orang seperti Khalil dan Nik Abduh, memekik dan melambai tangan dengan tidak tentu hala, mengeluarkan hujah demi hujah sebagai tindak balas kepada tuduhan liar ini.
Dalam tempoh masa yang singkat ini, kita telah melihat respon yang defensif dari Presiden Amanah Mohamad Sabu dan Naib Presiden Mahfuz Omar, serta dari Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang DAP (2) P Ramasamy dan ADUN Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof.
Apa yang mereka gagal untuk sedari ialah percubaan yang berterusan untuk menyangkal tuduhan-tuduhan PAS secara tidak langsung hanya membenarkan lagi tuduhan-tuduhan ini.
Wacana baru-baru ini mengenai bekas Perdana Menteri Najib Razak difokuskan kepada persona baru beliau sebagai ‘troll’. Perbincangan mengenai ‘trolling’ juga relevan di sini.
Dalam komunikasi politik, ‘trolling’ yang berkesan adalah apabila anda berjaya membuat pihak lawan marah dan mendorongnya untuk menghabiskan masa membincangkan isu-isu yang anda pilih – dan bukannya isu-isu yang anda tidak ingin dibincangkan.
Apabila musuh anda kelihatan marah, resah dan terganggu, anda pula akan kelihatan lebih tenang dan waras. Apabila musuh anda sibuk membincangkan isu-isu yang anda inginkan, maka perhatian umum akan beralih kepada isu-isu tersebut.
Komen-komen ini bukan sekadar teori sahaja, tetapi adalah berasaskan pengalaman kita sendiri dari zaman kita berada di barisan pembangkang, dan sering menghabiskan masa ‘troll’ ahli-ahli politik BN.
Serang, bukan bertahan
Komen Mohamad Sabu adalah bahawa PAS sekadar-kada cuba untuk beralih perhatian dari masalah-masalah mereka sendiri. Ini memang benar, tetapi pendekatan itu tidak cukup kuat, dan juga merupakan taktik lemah sama sahaja yang digunakan oleh BN zaman mereka jadi kerajaan.
Setiausaha agung PKR Saifuddin Nasution mengambil langkah yang berkesan apabila beliau mengibaratkan politik PAS seperti pengelap cermin kereta, yang sekejap ke sini dan sekejap ke sana.
Ini sama sedikit seperti taktik berkesan George W Bush yang menuduh John Kerry selalu ‘flip-flop’ (tukar pendirian) dalam pilihanraya Amerika Syarikat 2004.
Pendekatan Saifuiddin yang kurang mempedulikan tuduhan PAS – yang patut dijawab dengan satu dua ayat sahaja – tetapi terus menyerang PAS dalam isu-isu di mana mereka lemah, adalah lebih tepat dan berkesan.
Pemimpin parti Islam yang ditangkap basah berbohong; mengambil duit Umno secara senyap sekaligus menyerang Umno di depan akar umbi PAS; sekejap menyerang Mahathir, sekejap menyokong Mahathir – patutnya amat mudah sahaja untuk fokus kepada pendedahan kelemahan-kelemahan pimpinan PAS.
Serang di khalayak ramai, baiki secara senyap
Harapan memang harus terus membangkitkan isu-isu ini dalam ruang media. Secara dalaman pula, mereka seharusnya lihat kepada kelemahan-kelemahan mereka sendiri.
Bukan kebetulan PAS ini menyerang Harapan dalam isu-isu di mana mereka paling lemah. Pada hari ini, kelemahan terbesar Harapan ini adalah perpaduan politik dalam Harapan sendiri.
Sebab Nik Abduh dan Khalil sanggup membuat kenyataan yang begitu liar ini adalah kerana perpaduan dalaman Harapan ini memang belum meyakinkan.
Begitu ramai puak dalam Harapan yang ingin mengejar agenda sendiri, sehingga senang sahaja untuk musuh-musuh Harapan melaga-lagakan parti-parti dalam Harapan.
Dengan penerimaan ahli-ahli Parlimen Umno oleh Bersatu, kemasukkan Bersatu ke dalam Sabah, dan gerak geri Timbalan President PKR Azmin Ali, isu-isu untuk diserang semua sedia ada.
Jika ingin terus relevan dalam politik Malaysia, Harapan mesti membaiki semua masalah dalaman ini, dan sekaligus memantapkan balik strategi komunikasi mereka.
Nathaniel Tan merupakan Pengarah Media & Komunikasi di EMIR Research, sebuah organisasi pemikir bebas yang berfokuskan kepada pencernaan saranan-saranan dasar strategik berteraskan penyelidikan yang terperinci, konsisten dan menyeluruh.
