PAS targets non-Malays amid criticism of Harapan on social media
Malay-Muslim based parties, including PAS, continue to face challenges in gaining the trust of non-Malay voters.
However, PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah said there is now a new opportunity, as this group has become increasingly vocal in criticising the Pakatan Harapan government.
'We are focusing on...
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Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
PAS eyes support of ‘critical' non-Malays disgruntled with govt
PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah said that although some PH supporters may have become disappointed with the party, they still disliked PAS over its perceived hardline Malay-Muslim stance. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Non-Malay voters disgruntled with the Pakatan Harapan-led government are the target of PAS, the largest opposition party in the Dewan Rakyat, as it prepares for the next general election. PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah acknowledged that Malay-Muslim parties have struggled to gain the support of non-Malays. However, it was apparent that voters who make up PH's core support have become increasingly critical of the government led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim, Amar said in an interview with Malaysiakini. 'The question now is how PAS can attract them to our side,' Amar was quoted as saying. The challenge was to find more convincing ways to win over the non-Malays ahead of the general election, which is due by February 2028. While some PH supporters may have become disappointed with the coalition's inability to execute various reforms it had promised, he admitted that they still disliked PAS due to its perceived hardline Malay-Muslim stance. 'This is what we're currently thinking about: how to win their support,' he said, adding that the Islamic party must preserve its clean image to retain young voters. Amar also took a swipe at its Perikatan Nasional partner Gerakan for making statements that have 'harmed and undermined' PAS. He urged Gerakan, the only multiracial party in the opposition coalition, to exercise control in making public statements, adding that PAS keeps an eye on such matters. 'I have to be honest here, because occasionally their remarks have backfired. They need to be careful and exercise control, because we're part of the same coalition. There must be give and take,' he said. Gerakan has 'much to improve' in attracting Chinese voters, who have been largely supporting DAP, and Gerakan's machinery and groundwork needed improvement, while the party's image itself needed to be rebuilt, he said. In November last year, Gerakan president Dominic Lau urged PAS to declare that it will not interfere with the rights of other communities, in order to ease the concerns of non-Malays and boost their support for PN. However, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man shot down the proposal, saying Gerakan should not blame the Islamic party for its failure to muster support from the Chinese community.
Malaysiakini
6 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
PAS targets non-Malays amid criticism of Harapan on social media
Malay-Muslim based parties, including PAS, continue to face challenges in gaining the trust of non-Malay voters. However, PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah said there is now a new opportunity, as this group has become increasingly vocal in criticising the Pakatan Harapan government. 'We are focusing on...
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
External parties behind push for Hadi to step down, say PAS leaders
Abdul Hadi Awang, a seven-term MP for Marang, has been president of PAS since June 2002. PETALING JAYA : Two PAS leaders have dismissed claims that there is a push within the party for its long-time president, Abdul Hadi Awang, to relinquish the post at the party elections in September. Johor PAS Youth chief Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz claimed that such a call had never been raised at neither the state nor central leadership level. 'Clearly this push is coming from outside PAS. It's evident that some parties are uneasy with the performance of PAS under Hadi's leadership,' he told FMT. Terengganu PAS leader Hanafiah Mat also said calls for Hadi not to defend the PAS presidency came from outside the party, and not among its members or supporters. 'Although his health is not that great right now, he is mentally sharper than others,' he said. Speculation has emerged that, for the first time in a decade, the posts of PAS president and deputy president might be contested at the party elections in September. The last time the top two posts were contested was in 2015 when Hadi defeated Ahmad Awang for the president's post, and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man ousted Mohamad Sabu for the deputy presidency. Hadi is a seven-term MP for Marang and a former Terengganu menteri besar. Sinar Harian recently reported that Hadi had conveyed his intention to relinquish the post at a PAS top leadership retreat, citing health reasons. Hadi has suffered declining health in recent years, undergoing dialysis and being admitted to hospital several times. Hanafiah said the party still needed Hadi at the helm, citing his commanding support from the grassroots to the top leadership levels. The Chukai assemblyman also believes Hadi can lead the Islamic party to even greater success at the polls, after its best-ever haul of 43 parliamentary seats in the 2022 general election. 'I'm confident that 'Tok Guru' can lead us towards winning more than 70 parliamentary seats and, God-willing, we will govern Malaysia,' he said.
