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Report: Mobilising non-Muslim votes on PAS agenda as it eyes dominant party status
PAS has the highest number of seats won as a party with 43 seats garnered in the 15th general election, where it won all the seats contested in Kelantan and Terengganu, and holding two of three seats in Perlis and nine out of 15 seats in Kedah. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 10:30 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — Islamist party PAS plans to reach out to non-Muslim voters as it recognises the need to represent different ethnic communities to be dominant in Malaysia, its deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has said.
In an interview with news portal The Malaysian Insight (TMI), Tuan Ibrahim said political parties that wish to be dominant must represent various ethnicities.
“We really need to work harder in approaching other races because any party that wants to become dominant in Malaysia cannot be of just one race,” he was quoted as saying.
Tuan Ibrahim suggested that PAS’ lack of engagement with the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities could be a reason for the lower level of support by non-Muslims towards the party.
“We admit that because the policies brought by PAS are Islamic. Non-Muslim sentiments towards PAS are not as strong as the parties representing their people, like MIC or MCA,” he said.
He said he had discussed with the PAS Supporters’ Congress (DHPP), which is PAS’s non-Muslim wing, on policy framework and how to engage with non-Muslims.
But for the states which PAS had won in elections, he said non-Muslim support for the party has not been an issue, citing the party’s wins in seats which are mixed constituencies — which would generally require candidates to gather votes from more than one ethnic community in order to secure majority.
“We won quite convincingly in Alor Setar and Kuantan (in the last general election), which are mixed constituencies. Non-Muslims’ support for PAS seems to be improving,” he was quoted as saying by TMI.
PAS has the highest number of seats won as a party with 43 seats garnered in the 15th general election, where it won all the seats contested in Kelantan and Terengganu, and holding two of three seats in Perlis and nine out of 15 seats in Kedah.
According to Tuan Ibrahim, he said non-Muslim communities “are not marginalised at all” in PAS-ruled states, noting for example that allocations are given to non-Muslims in Kelantan to deal with religion, culture and life.
“We appoint Chinese, Indians and even Siamese officials to be in the state government, although they were not (election) candidates nor assemblymen.
“It means we care about the issues that concern the non-Muslims,” he was quoted as saying.
As for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition which PAS is part of, Tuan Ibrahim said PN’s component party Gerakan did not manage to get much support from non-Muslim voters in GE15, due to rival and ruling party DAP’s dominance.
“In the last election, we put great hopes on Gerakan, but they still failed because DAP was too strong. I think even MCA, MIC also failed (to get much support),” he said.
PN currently comprises Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PAS which are more oriented towards the Malay and Muslim communities, as well as Gerakan. Both Gerakan and DAP are multi-racial parties, while MCA and MIC — which belong to Barisan Nasional coalition in the ruling government — represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Tuan Ibrahim said there is no decision yet on whether PN would accept a few non-Muslim parties which had wanted to join the coalition, but disclosed that an Indian-based party previously part of the government — but not MIC — had applied and that some Chinese leaders had also shown interest.
Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 10:30 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — Islamist party PAS plans to reach out to non-Muslim voters as it recognises the need to represent different ethnic communities to be dominant in Malaysia, its deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has said.
In an interview with news portal The Malaysian Insight (TMI), Tuan Ibrahim said political parties that wish to be dominant must represent various ethnicities.
“We really need to work harder in approaching other races because any party that wants to become dominant in Malaysia cannot be of just one race,” he was quoted as saying.
Tuan Ibrahim suggested that PAS’ lack of engagement with the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities could be a reason for the lower level of support by non-Muslims towards the party.
“We admit that because the policies brought by PAS are Islamic. Non-Muslim sentiments towards PAS are not as strong as the parties representing their people, like MIC or MCA,” he said.
He said he had discussed with the PAS Supporters’ Congress (DHPP), which is PAS’s non-Muslim wing, on policy framework and how to engage with non-Muslims.
But for the states which PAS had won in elections, he said non-Muslim support for the party has not been an issue, citing the party’s wins in seats which are mixed constituencies — which would generally require candidates to gather votes from more than one ethnic community in order to secure majority.
“We won quite convincingly in Alor Setar and Kuantan (in the last general election), which are mixed constituencies. Non-Muslims’ support for PAS seems to be improving,” he was quoted as saying by TMI.
PAS has the highest number of seats won as a party with 43 seats garnered in the 15th general election, where it won all the seats contested in Kelantan and Terengganu, and holding two of three seats in Perlis and nine out of 15 seats in Kedah.
According to Tuan Ibrahim, he said non-Muslim communities “are not marginalised at all” in PAS-ruled states, noting for example that allocations are given to non-Muslims in Kelantan to deal with religion, culture and life.
“We appoint Chinese, Indians and even Siamese officials to be in the state government, although they were not (election) candidates nor assemblymen.
“It means we care about the issues that concern the non-Muslims,” he was quoted as saying.
As for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition which PAS is part of, Tuan Ibrahim said PN’s component party Gerakan did not manage to get much support from non-Muslim voters in GE15, due to rival and ruling party DAP’s dominance.
“In the last election, we put great hopes on Gerakan, but they still failed because DAP was too strong. I think even MCA, MIC also failed (to get much support),” he said.
PN currently comprises Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PAS which are more oriented towards the Malay and Muslim communities, as well as Gerakan. Both Gerakan and DAP are multi-racial parties, while MCA and MIC — which belong to Barisan Nasional coalition in the ruling government — represent the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Tuan Ibrahim said there is no decision yet on whether PN would accept a few non-Muslim parties which had wanted to join the coalition, but disclosed that an Indian-based party previously part of the government — but not MIC — had applied and that some Chinese leaders had also shown interest.
The non muslims must not be beguiled by any smooth talk and empty promises.
ReplyDeleteThe utterances by the PAS bigots are clear indicators that once they have achieved dominance, the nons will not have it easy.
In fact, it would not be surprising if one of PAS' goal is to have the nons convert to islam or emigrate so that Malaysia is a total theocracy.
Don't ever believe that PAS supports multi culturalism. In their minds there is only one Malaysia, one race and one religion.