Dennis Ignatius
~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.
A Cheap Shot from Khairy
10FridayJul 2026
[1] Campaigning in Johor, Khairy Jamaluddin cried “Islamophobia” over Pakatan Harapan’s warning that a vote for BN could usher in a “Green Wave” of PAS influence. He said, “They are claiming there is a ‘Green Wave’, and that voting for BN means getting PAS… I see this as a form of campaigning that is rather Islamophobic.” [1]
[2] It is nothing of the sort – and he knows it. There is nothing Islamophobic about calling attention to the very real threat posed by PAS. The concern has nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with PAS itself.
[3] For decades, PAS leaders have made no secret of their ambition to replace Malaysia’s constitutional order with their own version of an Islamic state – a vision fundamentally at odds with the nation’s founding charter and its multicultural character. They have pressed consistently for an expanded role for syariah including its possible application to non-Muslims, questioned whether non-Muslims are fit to hold the country’s highest offices, cast them as a source of national corruption, and opposed the very policies many regard as essential to equality in a plural society.
[4] At a time when minority rights are already under pressure from religious zealots who want to impose dress codes, restrict entertainment and place other conditions on non-Muslims, the political agenda of PAS is rightly seen as a clear and present danger. The sobering example of theocratic systems elsewhere – the bigotry and intolerance of diversity, the curtailment of fundamental rights, the harsh punishments – only increases these worries.
[5] And this is the party that Khairy would have Johor’s voters wave through without a second thought? To alert voters to the dangers PAS poses is not bigotry; it is a defence of the constitution and of the plural, democratic Malaysia the rest of us still believe in.
[6] And here is the inconvenient truth Khairy glides past: if PAS is so benign, why is UMNO itself so insistent that it will neither work with PAS nor form a government with it? Khairy cannot have it both ways – attack others for highlighting the dangers that PAS poses while his own party keeps its distance from PAS. It is clear that UMNO realises it is not in its interest to be seen to be too close to PAS for fear it would drive away non-Muslim voters. The whole Islamophobia accusation is simply meant to shut down further discussion on the matter. There can be little doubt, however, that if UMNO does not obtain an outright majority, it will quickly find common cause with PAS. In that sense, Pakatan Harapan is right: a vote for BN might well be a vote for PAS.
[7] Whatever happens, it looks like the politician who was more moderate in the political wilderness is now reverting to his UMNO persona — playing the Islamophobia card and warning of threats to Malay rights. It smacks of political opportunism, entirely unworthy of a man of Khairy’s intellect.
[Dennis Ignatius |Kuala Lumpur |10 July 2026]
[1] KJ labels Harapan’s ‘Green Wave’ campaign ‘Islamophobic’ |Malaysiakini |09 July 2026
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