‘I fear not Pas for it’s part of the future’
By Sun Line
In the past few months I have been reformed. And it was through the words and deeds of PAS leaders like Khalid Samad and Mohd Nizar that I have learned not to fear an Islamic party like Pas.
I realised something was changing in me when instead of reading Kit Siang’s blog first, my attention was fixated on Khalid Samad’s almost daily doses of wise counsel.
I knew very little about the Shah Alam MP until one of his colleagues told me about him. It was at the time when the petition for a RCI for Teoh Beng Huat was launched. Three days after the online petition was up, 90%+ of those who signed it were from one community.
And then Khalid Samad came into the picture when he linked the petition url to one of his blog posts. Like magic, the Malay names started appearing on the petition.
At the time when Hasan Ali was running amok and I was running out of patience with the Moonies, a moderate political voice emerged from the party. It was calming; it was reassuring; it was, again, Khalid Samad.
When Sec 23 became a cowboy town, Khalid was ready for high noon.
And how can we forget how soon after getting a mandate from the crowds of 2008, Khalid went into a church to offer good tidings.
While a segment of Pas will always have a radical face to appeal to its traditional rural base, young, dynamic voices from the reformers have begun to capture the attention of the non-Malays.
I now fear Pas not, for I know the winds of changes are also blowing through the party.
I fear not its grandstanding for an Islamic state for I know we have neutralising forces in Pakatan partners who will make sure Malaysia is, like Pas, untuk semua.
I shall not judge Pas on its history of religious ultralism, for I shall now benchmark it on its promise of “Pas untuk semua”.
Let’s all encourage more reformers to emerge from Pas by standing solidly behind brave souls like Mohd Nizar and Khalid Samad.
Selamat Hari Raya to all my friends who celebrate it.
