Can PAS galvanise the Malays?
K Pragalath, FMT
PAS appears not to have an agenda to woo back the Malay voters in its upcoming 59th annual party polls on Nov 22.
“Thus far, we have not received any proposal on how to regain Malay votes. It doesn’t mean it won’t be addressed. Let’s wait for the muktamar,” said PAS’ Dewan Ulama chief, Harun Taib.
Last month, the hardliner caused a ripple in the ties between Pakatan Rakyat component parties by asking PAS to review its relations with its partners – PKR and DAP.
The call was made after the Islamist party was perceived as taking a back seat in the coalition and compromising its ideals to uphold the Malay race and preserve Islam’s interests post GE12 in 2008.
PAS leaders, especially the non-ulamas were quick to do damage control, saying that the call does not mean that PAS would abandon Pakatan and rejoin Umno, which it did in the 1970s before pulling out again a few years later.
Although the Islamist party appears to have expanded its non-Malay support base, the same cannot be said about its Malay voter bank.
“Previously PAS was only in the Malay heartland but now it is everywhere,” said party vice-president, Salahuddin Ayub at a forum last week.
Muktamar expected to be a heated one
To a certain extent his statement is true. But the fact also remains that PAS has been getting the non-Malay support because it is aligned to Pakatan Rakyat.
If it moves out of the opposition pact, it is doubtful the non-Malays would continue supporting PAS because of its strong Islamist views.
