The Malaysian Insight

PAS is distancing itself from Malay-Muslim groups that had previously acted as proxies for the Islamist party ever since it joined Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government, said their leaders.

The groups felt they had been used and discarded, especially after the party became part of the ruling government.

They also felt PAS no longer cared for them even though they had used the same platform to voice Islamic issues.

Gerakan Pembela Ummah (Ummah) chairman Aminuddin Yahya told The Malaysian Insight his group is also upset because PAS now considers groups like theirs as not being part of a component in society that could impact the country’s administration.

“Our relationship (with PAS) is now strained. After they have gotten positions in government, they have forgotten us.

“They used to complement and support us but after they held positions (in the government), we can’t even meet them,” said Aminuddin.

He said PAS has lost its direction after becoming part of the ruling government and is now acting without clear guidance.

“The state is now driven by powerful lobby groups. The Malay-Islam agenda has been forgotten. This is no longer the most important issue for them.

“The stronger one lobbies, the more one gets,” he said.

Ummah was among the Malay-Muslim groups at the forefront of criticising the administration of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the 14th general election (GE14).

These groups were widely seen to be proxies for Malay political parties, especially Umno and PAS against the PH government, with their main target then being DAP.

Aminuddin said PAS should continue to speak up as loudly as it did before when it was not in the government.

He reminded the Islamist party that it was their loud voices that attracted people to the party.

“We understand that sometimes things take time (to implement) but their statements should be as consistent as they were before.

“PAS should once again highlight the old issues they had been fighting for, for decades,” Aminuddin said.

PAS should not change

The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), meanwhile, was of the view that PAS should not deviate from its objectives and follow the times.

Its president Nadzim Johan said ideology is the core of any political party’s existence.

“PAS used to protest and criticise the government when they were in the opposition. But it’s no longer like that now.

“The struggle (for Malay-Muslim issues) cannot stop,” Nadzim told The Malaysian Insight.

‘Political analysts have previously said that PAS was no longer as aggressive in raising issues related to Islam after becoming the government in Putrajaya.

PAS leaders, on the other hand, stressed that the Islamic party’s stance on several issues has not changed. Instead, their focus as the government is now on the Covid-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram) president Dr Mohd Parid Sheikh Ahmad, said PAS is not performing in the government.

He said party representatives in the government were also unable to highlight their strengths in helping people affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

“That is, in a situation where the people are under duress, PAS should have a solution. PAS only cares about worship but not about other matters (such as good governance, businesses, the environment and other civil matters).

“Even in terms of crime, we know that PAS is inconsistent on hudud. Their stand is not clear.

“PAS does not bring clear Islamic thought. Islam is a comprehensive religion, a religion that has answers to questions about human life,” he said.

Parid said PAS leaders were merely shouting Islamic slogans without real practice and knowledge.

“As far as saying we want Islam, everyone wants Islam, but there is no practical form of Islam and a solution, and knowledge.

“PAS talks a lot, but there is no content, they need knowledge and expertise, especially in the new reality,” he added. – July 1, 2021.