PAS’s move on non-Muslim membership ‘half-baked’, says analyst

 

FMT:

PAS’s move on non-

Muslim membership ‘half-

baked’, says analyst

Nora Mahpar

-19 Sep 2024, 09:30 AM

Sayuti Omar says amendment of party constitution does not give equal voting rights.

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PAS amended its party constitution during its 70th muktamar to allow non-Muslims to become associate members. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A political analyst has described PAS’s party constitution amendment, which permits non-Muslims to become associate members, as half-baked and insincere because of its restrictive nature.

Speaking to FMT, Sayuti Omar said the non-Muslim supporter’s wing (DHPP) seems to be a mere tool for PAS to attract support from other ethnic groups.

The amendment is impractical in the context of PAS wanting to appeal to non-Muslims. By right, it should have granted equal voting rights,

 he said.

Sayuti also said the amendment is a tacit admission that PAS’s Perikatan Nasional allies – Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian Progressive Party (MIPP) – have failed to contribute effectively.

PAS understands that the non-Islamic parties within PN do not add value to its goals, so the amendment offers limited powers that are not as genuine as hoped,

 he said.

DHPP itself has struggled to attract non-Malay support, prompting PAS to broaden DHPP’s role and falsely present it as more empowering.

Sayuti was commenting on the amendment of PAS’s party constitution at its recent 70th muktamar to allow non-Muslims to become associate members.

The amendment elevates DHPP to a full-party wing, allowing members to vote for their leaders but still restricting them from holding central committee positions.

PAS no longer an exclusively Muslim-only party

Sayuti said PAS’s move may be an attempt to align with contemporary voter preferences for multiracial parties.

PAS might now be seen as a liberal or multiracial party rather than one exclusive to Islam, following a more practical political approach similar to Pakatan Harapan,

 he said.

Azmi Hassan, a fellow at the National Professors Council, viewed the move as a reaction to the need for a broader voter base to achieve their goal of capturing Putrajaya, but questioned PAS’s sincerity.

PAS knows they need non-Malay votes if they want to move beyond SG4 (the PAS-led state governments) to secure a federal government,

 he said.

But simply opening membership and limiting DHPP’s role won’t attract non-Malay voters or members? That’s not the way.

Azmi also expressed doubt about how well the amendment would be received, adding that PAS needs to prove it can have a positive impact on the country before it can gain broader support.

They need to demonstrate this, as even in the recent SG4 roadshow, they failed to do so,

 he said.

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