The Malaysian Insight

PAS must lead any future political pact, said party mursyidul am (spiritual leader) Hashim Jasin, as the Islamist party convenes its annual meeting to decide a possible coalition with its former archrival Umno.

“PAS needs to be the leader of whatever political cooperation, not a follower any more,” Hashim said in his speech to launch the annual assembly of PAS’ Dewan Ulama, the Islamist party’s wing of jurists and clerics.

PAS will ensure that the coalition fights for its Islamic principles, Hashim said, adding that PAS had in the past been involved in coalitions with parties with varying ideologies and struggles.

PAS had worked with Umno to form Barisan Nasional in 1974, which used Malay unity as its ideology.

In the past 20 years, it worked with Pakatan Harapan parties PKR and DAP to pursue social justice agendas.   

“But none of these struggles led us to victory or brought us any benefit,” Hashim said.

As mursyidul am, Hashim heads the shura council, which sets the party’s overall policy direction and which decides whether PAS follows what it considers as Islamic tenets.

At its annual general assembly this year, the Islamist party’s senior leaders are attempting to convince members to put aside their historic enmity with Umno and work together to bring down the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition in the next general election.  

An endorsement from the Dewan Ulama and shura council will be necessary for the PAS leadership to rally grassroots members to work with Umno.   

Hashim said the Umno leaders he had met were very open towards working with PAS, and the two organisations have held many joint programmes.

“In the past, Umno used to think that their enemy was PAS. In the middle of this rivalry, there were new rivals that have come up.

“Both PAS and Umno have now realised who their real enemies are.

“Now, we have an influx of new members and support for us in the villages is increasing.

“All we have to do is ensure that our pact with Umno is sincere,” Hashim said. – June 20, 2019.