The Malaysian Insight

PAS needs to move with the times if it wants to garner the people’s support and pave the way for its leader to become prime minister, analysts said.

Even then, it is going to be an impossible task for PAS given the political climate and the fracturing of the Malay parties.

Mazlan Ali, a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia told The Malaysian Insight that PAS is lacking in future leaders.

“PAS’ strength is not visible; the old and young think the same way. There is no dynamism,” he said.

“The youth don’t dare to have different opinions, so we don’t see any future leaders who can be a prime minister.”

Mazlan was responding to the comments made by PAS election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor at the party’s recent annual congress where he said the party aims to win 40 seats so that it can be the kingmaker at the next general election.

Sanusi said having more PAS MPs would bolster the Islamist party’s objective to have one of their own to be prime minister by 2050.

He pointed out that PAS currently has 17 MPs, of whom three are ministers and eight are deputy ministers.

Mazlan said PAS once had the support of various races when it was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition with PKR and DAP.

“They still have a chance, but they have to change their stance,” he said.

“They enjoyed support from other races during Nik Aziz’s (former PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat) time, but once they left Pakatan Rakyat, they took a hardline stance that the non-Malays cannot accept. PAS cannot use the same tactic.”

He said a punitive approach is no longer suitable for the future, in fact, that will only alienate the people, not just the non-Muslims but also progressive Malay-Muslims.

PAS’ agenda in championing the controversial Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill (RUU 355) that imposes harsher penalties on Muslims convicted of religious offences is also driving away support for the party, he said.

“If they continue with this, even the progressive Malays will sideline them. They don’t see Islam as punishing, but rather a religion that brings blessings to all, not only for Muslims but also non-Muslims,” he said.

“In 20 to 30 years, the thinking of Muslims will be more modern, not archaic.”

Former PAS leader and current Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar said PAS will find it hard to defend its seats in Kedah and Terengganu.

He said the PAS leadership is weak and it still has not solved the water woes in Kelantan.

“They may not be able to defend their seats in GE15, this is mere posturing to convince the people to vote for them when in reality they are facing a crisis of confidence,” said Mahfuz, referring to the next general election.

“They have been unable to provide a solution to Kelantan’s water problem. They can’t expect the people to wait until 2050 when there is a PAS prime minister for the problem to be solved.

“If they can’t even handle this, how are they going to face bigger issues faced by the people?”

Sanusi’s goal, he said, is nothing more than a dream.

“It is a dream, anyone can dream,” he said.

Political analyst Sayuti Omar is also not confident that PAS can achieve this goal.

He said PAS’ goal of winning 40 out of 80 seats is wishful thinking.

“Even if it teams up with Umno and Bersatu, it won’t get 40 seats,” he said.

“This is wishful thinking on PAS’ part. It is their right to dream.”

About 120 parliamentary constituencies have Malay-majority voters.

Sayuti said PAS will have a hard time defending the seats it won in the 2018 polls.

“It’s not easy, unless it teams up with Umno or Perikatan Nasional,” he said.

“But they will face rejection in three- and four-cornered fights.” – September 8, 2022.