WHILE it has finally dawned on PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang that no political coalition can hope to form the federal government without the support of non-Muslims, he has yet to realise why many of us aren’t consumed by the party.
The task of convincing non-Muslims voters to change their perception of the Islamist party isn’t its partner’s Gerakan, but his.
Until last week, PAS Members of Parliament were still haggling over the call by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to stop using the word “kafir” on non-Muslims, particularly DAP MPs.
The point is, even Umno members, who are mostly Muslims, have been called kafir for working with MCA and MIC previously.
Those who watched the televised proceedings would have seen the Speaker clasping his hands and pleading to PAS MP Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki to refrain from using the word as the latter continuously tried to justify its validity.
To the Parit Buntar MP, kafir simply means non-believer. If that’s the case, how does he justify his party having called Umno members kafir, too?
Johari said it had sensitive connotations and that “non-Muslims” would be a more pleasant word to the ears of those being addressed.
Just a few months ago, Hadi blamed non-Muslims for being corrupt, pendatang, anti-Islam and made other damning accusations, but now, he has woken up and realises he needs non-Muslim support.
It didn’t occur to him during the recent state elections, presumably because he was so sure the Green Wave would be sufficient.
But after failing to win in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, and the by-elections in the Pulai parliamentary and Pelangai state constituencies, PAS has stopped dreaming and is now getting a dose of reality.
It doesn’t matter that the Opposition has experienced a vote count increase because ours is modelled after the first-past post system. So, even if a candidate wins by a single vote, it’s still a win.
By now, it must be obvious that no political coalition can form the federal government without the support of Sabah and Sarawak.
So, besides the non-Muslims, there are other bumiputra and Muslims, including those in major cities, who don’t find PAS palatable.
To its credit, PAS has recruited many professionals into its fold, but it’s still a party dominated by theologians. They call the shots, and they dictate the narratives and plans of the party, and the kind of government if they were to come into power.
It’s not merely about whether non-Muslims can still wear shorts in public, but the fear of losing our lifestyles, or what’s left of it.
Hadi has never distanced himself from statements issued by his party leaders calling for an end to all concerts and even cultural celebrations, for example. The two PAS-ruled states of Kelantan and Terengganu have even killed certain aspects of Malay culture, saying some elements were against Islam.
The first thing Hadi did as Terengganu Mentri Besar in 1999 was to demolish a replica of a giant turtle at a roundabout in Kuala Terengganu, saying it was akin to idol worshipping.
A year later, then Terengganu PAS state executive councillor Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli reportedly vowed to tear down every sculpture in the state, including those of prawns and squids in Marang.
The irony, if not hypocrisy, is that when PAS worked with DAP and PKR during the Barisan Alternatif era in 1998, the political actions were justified by the party. The DAP politicians then weren’t infidels yet somehow, they are viewed that way now.
Likewise, current PAS ally, Gerakan, isn’t kafir, presumably because they are seen as moderates in the eyes of PAS.
I’m certain Gerakan won’t subscribe to the formation of an Islamic state in Malaysia or endorse the full implementation of syariah laws, so where does that leave the party?
Hadi has stopped short of saying that those who are against him or the party are “anti-Islam” and “promoting Islamophobia.”
Of course, it has nothing to do with religion. The grouse is the political system that Hadi and PAS aspires to doesn’t sit well with many of us.
For a start, it’s important for emerging PAS leaders to have continuous engagement with non-governmental organisations, especially the media and even non-Muslim groups. After all, the party has more credibility than Gerakan.
Many media members have said that their calls to PAS leaders have been left unanswered with their aides privately revealing they don’t feel comfortable talking to the press.
The party had even imposed a ban on its candidates from speaking to the media during the recent state polls.
But an engagement must start. It holds 43 of the 222 seats at the Dewan Rakyat, which must surely be treated seriously and respected.
Like it or not, it’s a mainstream party, but it must act like one, too. If its leaders are still preoccupied with the dressing of women nurses, flight attendants, questioning the organising of concerts, calling people kafir and barring women gymnasts from Sukma2024 by citing non-syariah compliant attire, then PAS shouldn’t be surprised why it isn’t getting traction from non-Muslims and even many Muslims.
PAS must stop seeing those who disagree with it as enemies. All of us are stakeholders who want a better Malaysia. After all, this country belongs to all Malaysians.
