News

  • Nation
  • World Updates
  • Courts
  • Parliament
  • Columnists
  • Opinion
  • Honours List

Published: Saturday November 7, 2009 MYT 1:46:00 PM
Updated: Saturday November 7, 2009 MYT 4:37:28 PM

PAS' image plunged, reveals study (Update)

By NURBAITI HAMDAN and YUEN MEIKENG


KUALA LUMPUR: The image of PAS has plunged despite its success in last year's general election, a study on the party leadership revealed.

The study, on the people's faith in the party leadership, was conducted by Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah of Zentrum Future Studies.

The study was conducted on 2100 respondents who were separated in three age groups.

It found that 633 respondents, in the 21 to 30 age group, losing faith in the party leadership. Only 67 respondents believed in the leadership.

In the 31 to 40 years group, 519 people answered negatively while 181 answered positively.

“This means only 181 people from that particular age group say that PAS will move forward with the existing leadership,” said Dr Abu Hassan at a seminar to strengthen the party organised by PAS on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a total of 751 people aged between 41 and 50 years answered negatively and 396 answered positively.

Dr Abu Hassan said another shocker was that most of those who answered negatively from the 41-50 years age group were from the east coast and northern states.

The east coast has always been regarded as a PAS stronghold.

“The leadership as well as delegates in this seminar need to pay attention to this. Most of the positive answers were actually from Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

The leadership of party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was also not spared.

For the age group of 21-30 years, a total of 493 answered negatively on Abdul Hadi’s leadership while 207 people answered positively.

For those in the 31-40 year group, 539 answered negatively as opposed to a small group of 161 who answered positively.

However, for those aged 41-50 years old, 383 answered negatively compared to 317 who answered positively.

Dr Abu Hassan said the rather balanced views from those aged between 41 and 50 years could be that they were more experienced in politics as elders in the party.

“But the two younger generations (those of 21-30 years and 31-40 years) appear very aggressive and dependent on their perception,” he said.

Political observer Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said PAS 'cannot become an alternative party if it cannot accept the constitution of the country that also recognises non-Muslims.'

"It is a constitution that we know, if we cannot accept it we cannot become an alternative party.

"So, don't get antagonized and question the status of Islam. We also must concentrate on the non-Muslims and focus on how to win over their hearts," said Abdul Aziz, a law lecturer at the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA).

Abdul Aziz and Dr Abu Hassan were the two political observers invited by PAS to give their alternative views on how to strengthen the party.

Abdul Aziz chided PAS for blaming Umno every time something negative happened to the party and added that PAS must instead look at within the party circle to correct or resolve issues when they arised.

"PAS must become an 'open' party that can be the focus of all the people. Don't play the same old 'blame game' and blame Umno for everything little thing that goes wrong. We must focus on the party from within," said Abdul Aziz.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

News Poll