PAS is misunderstood, says Muhyiddin

The PN chairman backs Gerakan’s call for a declaration to address the concerns of non-Malay communities about PAS.

(FMT) – PAS has been misunderstood by Malaysians due to the personal views of some of its leaders, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin says, stressing the need to rectify such misjudgment to boost non-Malay support for the opposition coalition.

The Bersatu president also backed Gerakan’s proposal for PN to issue a declaration addressing the concerns of non-Malay communities, to woo their support for the 16th general election (GE16).

He said the matter had been discussed within PN, adding that certain statements by some PAS leaders concerning Gerakan’s proposal did not reflect the party’s stand.

“When I asked PAS (president Abdul Hadi Awang, he said) that was not the party’s stand but their individual views.

“(PAS) has already been in the government and a Cabinet which consists of members of various ethnicities … They have to think about how a government functions.

“We can’t do as we please, and what I mean by that is, PN will be a government that represents Malaysians of every background. We will do our best (if given the mandate to govern the nation),” he said in an interview with FMT.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau had said a “non-Malay declaration” was necessary as some non-Malays and non-Muslims felt anxious and afraid of PAS – the PN component that currently holds the most seats.

This was shot down by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who said Gerakan should instead focus on strengthening the party and increasing its membership.

However, Muhyiddin said Gerakan’s views were reasonable and should be taken into consideration.

“To me, it’s fine. The key is to hold deliberations (with PN components) and discussions, rather than one party making a decision.

“At the end of the day, as a political coalition, what we are hoping for is greater support from voters. Every seat has different demographics,” he added.