SHAH ALAM: To form the next Federal Government with Perikatan Nasional, PAS must boost efforts to woo non-Muslims and dispel their fears of the Islamist party, says Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic).
The PAS president said the party’s election post-mortem showed that it had failed to attract the support of non-Muslims and non-Malays, as well as Malays who are disinterested in politics.
“We have the biggest number of seats in our history of 71 years and we are the party with the biggest number of seats when we worked with Perikatan in the last general election,” Abdul Hadi said at the party’s 69th muktamar here yesterday.
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“Our strengths include the ability to maintain the support of young voters, effective use of social media, strong performance in state governance, a clean and corruption-free image, an increase in membership and branch networks, the readiness of our election machinery, and quality candidates.
“PAS, therefore, must counter the Islamophobic narrative that exploits the ‘Green Wave’ label to unjustly alarm non-Muslims and certain groups about PAS’ performance,” he said in his opening speech to about 5,000 party delegates and observers who had converged at the IDCC Convention Centre for the three-day muktamar.
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“PAS is open to cooperation and understanding with moderate non-Muslims. It also allows them to study Islam, read the Quran, and engage with its teachings under appropriate guidance and supervision.
“However, it’s important to note that interpreting the Quran should be done with the necessary knowledge and expertise, whether by Muslims or non-Muslims,” he said.
He added that PAS has always been consistent in its call for Muslim unity.
“When Muslims are divided, our collective strength diminishes. If we remain disunited, the interests of Malay Muslims will be trampled and the privileges of Islam, as well as the rights of Malays and bumiputras, will be constantly questioned.
“It’s crucial to emphasise that our call for unification of the ummah does not infringe upon the rights of non-Malays and non-Muslims. We are committed to upholding religious freedom and ensuring justice, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” said Abdul Hadi.
He also criticised the unity government for not working with Opposition parties on issues concerning the people.
“The challenge of inflation and the increasing prices of essential goods, which weigh heavily on the population, remains unresolved due to a lack of prioritisation.
“Today, it is imperative that we accord the utmost priority to ensuring an adequate supply of rice for our nation. However, it is evident that this critical matter is not receiving the attention it deserves,” said Abdul Hadi.
He said the “welfare state” concept advocated by Perikatan and PAS encompassed both the physical and spiritual realms.
“Benevolence encompasses all aspects, including matters of faith and the relationship with God, as well as social dimensions like family and community life,” said Abdul Hadi.
Earlier, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said PAS should always be ready to take over the Federal Government as the mandate that the party received in the 15th General Election is a signal it has potential.
“The current government of Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional leadership has continuously failed to handle the issues of the people and is a failed government. They do not walk the talk.
“This muktamar is expected to be the most suitable base for PAS delegates to have quality debates, criticism and post-mortem (of PAS’ performance) to ensure we will be able to be a better Opposition and effective state governments,” he said.
