PAS pushes harsher
Islamic laws to mask
economic failures, says
analyst
UM’s Awang Azman Pawi says such practices will resonate with PAS’s conservative support base among whom morality issues are a key voter concern.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the recent public caning of a man in Terengganu was a “tactic” used by the party to solidify the support of its conservative voter base.
“They do not seem to have any ideas on how to develop or strengthen the economy,” he told FMT.
Repeat khalwat offender Affendi Awang, 42, was caned six times in front of 90 witnesses at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Mosque in Kuala Terengganu last Friday.
The punishment drew criticism from various groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and G25, a group of prominent retired civil servants.
Awang Azman said the imposition of the punishment will resonate with PAS’s conservative support base in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, where upholding morality is a key voter concern.
“PAS understands that public caning may not matter to voters in Kuala Lumpur or other parts of West Malaysia but it is a significant issue for their support base in Kelantan and Terengganu,” he said.
He added the move was a calculated strategy to secure loyalty among their core supporters ahead of the next general election, which must be held by 2027.
Hisomuddin Bakar of Ilham Centre said PAS is going all out to reinforce support from Malay voters to retain its success in Malay-majority states. The Islamist party performed especially well in Terengganu, winning all 32 state seats.
“PAS cannot afford to lose (in the four northern states) or see its strength diminish,” he said.
He said the party was positioning itself as the principal defender of Malay and Islam, including by opposing the participation of Muslims in Christmas celebrations.
On Sunday, PAS threatened housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming with legal action over his “cowardly accusations” and “malicious slander” after the DAP leader criticised the party’s objections to a Christmas event held by his ministry.
“PAS is likely to maintain its current strategy. Despite suggestions that PAS needs to win over non-Malay voters to expand its base, the party has not moved in that direction,” Hisomuddin said.
PAS states’ reliance on federal funding
Meanwhile, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office revealed that all four PAS-led states frequently seek additional federal funds to cover budget deficits.
“We receive funding requests from other states too, but there are noticeably more from Kelantan and Terengganu,” the aide told FMT.
Economist Yeah Kim Leng said PAS-led states rely heavily on natural resources such as timber and land taxes, raising concerns about sustainability and long-term economic viability.
“These states mostly operate with financial deficits compared to Sabah, Sarawak and Penang which have surplus budgets,” Yeah said.
He said Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis must take steps to diversify their economies by focusing on industrialisation and tourism to generate sustainable revenue.
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