KUALA LUMPUR – PAS can work with non-Muslims who are “not extremist” in order to prevent Pakatan Harapan (PH) from winning the 15th general election, the Islamist party’s central committee member Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed said.
He said voters should reject PH and choose Perikatan Nasional (PN), the coalition PAS is in with Bersatu, Gerakan and Sabah-based parties SAPP and STAR.
“If possible, in my view, Malay-Muslims and non-Muslims who are not extreme should unite with PN in this election, not just PAS, Umno, Bersatu, but also other parties in Sabah and Sarawak.
“This is because PN was able to topple PH with the most votes in Parliament even though it was not through an election.
“So, if we Malay-Muslims unite with people who are not extreme, we can avoid being ruled by PH again,” Mahfodz told Getaran, The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal.
Mahfodz, who is a former PAS Dewan Ulama chief, said this when commenting on party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s rejection of the “Malaysian Malaysia” concept long been promoted by PH component DAP, with the latter claiming it to be un-Islamic.
While PAS’ rejection of the Chinese-dominated DAP has been a long-held stance, the Islamist party had ostensibly taken a more moderate approach under the stewardships of previous leaders, the late Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Fadzil Noor.
Nik Aziz, who was PAS spiritual leader from 1995 until his death in February 2015, had ensured the party was inclusive and tolerant of all races and religions, acknowledging the need for a united Malaysia.
This was evident when he served as Kelantan menteri besar from 1990 to 2013 by adopting a more pragmatic approach. He also played a key role in the formation of the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition in 2008 – which comprised PAS, DAP and PKR – which was declared dead just months after his passing.
Following Nik Aziz’s death, Hadi gained greater control over PAS and led the party to sever ties with DAP during its 2015 annual general assembly, effectively crippling the opposition coalition. Hadi also led the ouster of moderates in PAS, which saw the forming of splinter party Amanah.
Fadzil, who was Hadi’s immediate predecessor before his passing in 2002, was similarly seen as a leader with a moderate outlook as opposed to many hardline clerics within the party who envisioned Malaysia as an Islamic state.
He had warned PAS’ more Islamist leaders that imposing harsh religious laws would only bring unrest to a multiracial Malaysia.
It was also under his helm that PAS began to establish a more cordial relationship with DAP, beginning with the formation of the Gerakan Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia movement to protest the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister in 1998.
Last month, Hadi made controversial remarks about non-Muslims, saying they were mostly responsible for corruption. Police have begun investigating him after 28 reports were lodged against him.
Meanwhile, commenting on Hadi’s rejection of “Malaysian Malaysia”, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasim said there is a concern that the concept could promote “equality” that is detrimental to Islam.
“One example is the protest by Muslims against the demand to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Kuala Lumpur,” he said when contacted by Getaran.
This is in reference to the gathering of tens of thousands of participants, jointly organised by PAS and Umno in December 2018, in response to the Pakatan Harapan government’s plan to ratify the convention. Rally-goers maintained that the treaty runs against the spirit of the federal constitution.
According to Hashim, the “Malaysian Malaysia” concept could threaten to erode the special privileges enjoyed by Malay-Muslims.
“That is probably one of the reasons why PAS rejects (the concept). If something is detrimental to Muslims and Malays, we cannot support,” he stressed. – The Vibes, September 18, 2022
Additional reporting by Amar Shah Mohsen
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