Martin Vengadesan
Published: Sep 16, 2024 11:01 AM
COMMENT | Over the weekend, the PAS muktamar was held in Temerloh, Pahang, and threw up more than its fair share of controversial claims.
While it is easy to dismiss PAS as a fringe party of the radical right, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that it cannot be taken lightly.
After all, it is the party with the most MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. It runs four state governments, is targeting more and seems to be making inroads.
While the original game plan of the opposition was to topple Umno/BN in the past, the voters who deserted Umno have been flocking to PAS, at least in certain parts of the country.
Indeed, it is PAS that seems to be benefitting the most from the malapportionment of rural Malay seats, a move that has favoured Umno for decades.
Delusional, dangerous
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder at the gall of the party president Abdul Hadi Awang when he made the preposterous allegation that there was a group of religious people who were working alongside “cruel” leaders who had changed the religion of Allah and created their own.
“We are witnessing the emergence of liars becoming leaders, traitors being trusted, and the ignorant pretending to know,” he said.
Published: Sep 16, 2024 11:01 AM
COMMENT | Over the weekend, the PAS muktamar was held in Temerloh, Pahang, and threw up more than its fair share of controversial claims.
While it is easy to dismiss PAS as a fringe party of the radical right, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that it cannot be taken lightly.
After all, it is the party with the most MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. It runs four state governments, is targeting more and seems to be making inroads.
While the original game plan of the opposition was to topple Umno/BN in the past, the voters who deserted Umno have been flocking to PAS, at least in certain parts of the country.
Indeed, it is PAS that seems to be benefitting the most from the malapportionment of rural Malay seats, a move that has favoured Umno for decades.
Delusional, dangerous
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder at the gall of the party president Abdul Hadi Awang when he made the preposterous allegation that there was a group of religious people who were working alongside “cruel” leaders who had changed the religion of Allah and created their own.
“We are witnessing the emergence of liars becoming leaders, traitors being trusted, and the ignorant pretending to know,” he said.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang
Without naming names, he added that this was even more impactful when carried out by those who lead the country.
Now stop right there.
Isn’t this a delusional and dangerous claim? Why isn’t this individual investigated more often for making such wild statements? What on earth could he possibly mean?
He went on to claim that efforts to implement syariah law were being disrupted because there were parties who spread Islamophobia to intimidate people against Islam.
Let’s not forget that this is a party that has defended the tyrannical Taliban repeatedly throughout the years.
His false narrative was added to when Selangor PAS delegate Sabirin Marsono accused the government of endorsing moves by certain quarters to “bury Islam” and replace it with manmade ideologies, resulting in a “cancerous value crisis”.
Without naming names, he added that this was even more impactful when carried out by those who lead the country.
Now stop right there.
Isn’t this a delusional and dangerous claim? Why isn’t this individual investigated more often for making such wild statements? What on earth could he possibly mean?
He went on to claim that efforts to implement syariah law were being disrupted because there were parties who spread Islamophobia to intimidate people against Islam.
Let’s not forget that this is a party that has defended the tyrannical Taliban repeatedly throughout the years.
His false narrative was added to when Selangor PAS delegate Sabirin Marsono accused the government of endorsing moves by certain quarters to “bury Islam” and replace it with manmade ideologies, resulting in a “cancerous value crisis”.
Selangor PAS delegate Sabirin Marsono
“The ideologies are being promoted aggressively and openly, being backed by international agents, assisted by traitors to our race and religion and endorsed by the Madani government,” he said.
Are all these outrageous claims to be made with impunity and without proof?
Is this sort of fake news taking root in the hearts and minds of the majority? Will it propel them all the way to Putrajaya in the near future?
Ridiculous one-upmanship
Anyway, it didn’t stop there. Selangor PAS Youth secretary Aubidullah Fahim Ibrahim told the PAS Youth muktamar that the wing’s leaders should take wives from different races and cultures to get non-Malay voters for the party.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari also claimed that the government will shadowban the social media accounts operated by Perikatan Nasional parties ahead of the next general election.
“The ideologies are being promoted aggressively and openly, being backed by international agents, assisted by traitors to our race and religion and endorsed by the Madani government,” he said.
Are all these outrageous claims to be made with impunity and without proof?
Is this sort of fake news taking root in the hearts and minds of the majority? Will it propel them all the way to Putrajaya in the near future?
Ridiculous one-upmanship
Anyway, it didn’t stop there. Selangor PAS Youth secretary Aubidullah Fahim Ibrahim told the PAS Youth muktamar that the wing’s leaders should take wives from different races and cultures to get non-Malay voters for the party.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari also claimed that the government will shadowban the social media accounts operated by Perikatan Nasional parties ahead of the next general election.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari
According to him, the move will be on a large scale involving major media social platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp.
Not to be outdone, Pahang PAS said they intend to get rid of casinos and gambling shops if they take over the state.
Given the increasing votes going to these chaps from the Malay community, it doesn’t appear to be in the nature of our brethren to challenge the bizarre claims and narratives that PAS is touting.
Even back in February 2019, when the MACC probed the allegation that several leaders of the Islamist party received funds amounting to RM90 million from Umno - somehow it didn’t sink in with their support.
Considering that the Madani government is enjoying a solid and stable majority, it’s almost unthinkable that it spends so much time on the back foot.
Why isn’t it managing its counter-messaging better?
Granted the behaviour of the Umno Youth chief shows that PAS doesn’t have a monopoly on terrible ideas and wild claims, but one can’t help but shudder when you think where it might all end.
According to him, the move will be on a large scale involving major media social platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp.
Not to be outdone, Pahang PAS said they intend to get rid of casinos and gambling shops if they take over the state.
Given the increasing votes going to these chaps from the Malay community, it doesn’t appear to be in the nature of our brethren to challenge the bizarre claims and narratives that PAS is touting.
Even back in February 2019, when the MACC probed the allegation that several leaders of the Islamist party received funds amounting to RM90 million from Umno - somehow it didn’t sink in with their support.
Considering that the Madani government is enjoying a solid and stable majority, it’s almost unthinkable that it spends so much time on the back foot.
Why isn’t it managing its counter-messaging better?
Granted the behaviour of the Umno Youth chief shows that PAS doesn’t have a monopoly on terrible ideas and wild claims, but one can’t help but shudder when you think where it might all end.
MARTIN VENGADESAN is associate editor at Malaysiakini.
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