Many Pakatan Rakyat supporters and sympathisers were disappointed by the election results of the recent PAS muktamar.

Perhaps too much has been made of the victory of Nasharuddin Mat Isa in the deputy president contest. While his victory and the subsequent refusal by Nasharuddin as well as PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to rule out having talks with Umno on issues of mutual interest raises tricky questions for leaders and supporters of PKR and DAP, one has to be cognisant of the political context in which PAS finds itself in.

PAS, like the other two Pakatan component parties, is still trying to adjust to life post-March 2008 and last week’s muktamar should be interpreted in this light. PAS’ ‘overtures’ to Umno is a reminder to the other Pakatan parties that its role within the opposition coalition should not be taken for granted. But fears of PAS actually leaving Pakatan and joining the Barisan Nasional are very much overblown.