PAS’s non-Muslim wing won’t help PN with non-Malay support, analysts say

Azmi Hassan attributes the pact’s struggle to attract non-Malay support to PAS’s conservative ideology, not Gerakan.

(FMT) – Analysts have questioned a proposal for Gerakan to be replaced in Perikatan Nasional (PN) by PAS’s non-Muslim supporters wing (DHPP), saying this will not address the fundamental issue of the coalition’s inability to attract the support of non-Malays.

Azmi Hassan, a fellow at the National Council of Professors, said Gerakan had struggled to represent the non-Malays due to PAS’s “extreme” and conservative political ideology.

“Gerakan is being sidelined by PAS for failing to attract non-Malay voters, but this is not Gerakan’s fault – it’s because of PAS itself,” he told FMT.

“Even if DHPP replaces Gerakan and welcomes many associate or non-Malay members, PN will still struggle to earn the trust of non-Malay voters due to PAS’s longstanding rhetoric.”

On Wednesday, a Penang PAS Youth leader said Gerakan was welcome to leave PN if it disagreed with the coalition’s direction.

Hafiz Alias, PAS’s deputy youth chief in the state, said Gerakan was not even influential, claiming that it had contributed hardly anything in Penang and noting its single seat in Malay-majority Kedah.

He said the youth wing of Penang PAS had proposed at the party’s muktamar that the position of state PN chairman, currently held by Gerakan president Dominic Lau, be reassigned.

Yesterday, meanwhile, former Negeri Sembilan MIC chief L Manickam announced that he had joined PAS through DHPP, citing the stability of the Islamic party and describing it as suitable for him.

The former two-term Jeram Padang assemblyman said the move would allow him to continue serving the community, particularly in Negeri Sembilan.

DHPP as a platform for candidates

Meanwhile, Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the issue of Gerakan’s performance would be mitigated if non-Malay leaders joined PN through DHPP to position themselves as PAS supporters.

“Using a party like Gerakan is seen as unpopular and becomes a liability that fails to attract votes.

“However, DHPP can attract Malay-Muslim supporters without the baggage of previous party liabilities, especially as it enjoys strong backing from PAS loyalists,” he said.

He added that DHPP could serve as an effective platform for these leaders to promote themselves as future election candidates.