Malaysia's Islamic Party at Crossroads

CAIRO — Malaysia's Islamic party (PAS) is at crossroads trying to strike the right balance between keeping true to its Islamic principles and maintaining its support among non-Muslims.

"The challenge for PAS (is) how to survive and grow into a party trusted and accepted by all Malaysians," a senior party leader told The Star on Sunday, May 24, on condition of anonymity.

"We have to be less Islamic and more universal to win support from non-Muslims."

During the party's three-day general assembly, to kick off on June 7, the 2,000 attending delegates would discuss shunning an old policy considering non-Muslim supporters associate members, thus depriving them for the right to vote.

Thanks to a series of inclusive moves, support for PAS among non-Muslims has grown significantly with large numbers of Chinese and Indians joining its ranks.

Non-Muslims have also enthusiastically campaigned for the party during last year's elections in which PAS maintained control of the Kelantan state and won two others, with significant Chinese and Indian concentrations.

PAS assembly would discuss shunning an old policy considering non-Muslim supporters associate members, thus depriving them for the right to vote.

The party official expects heated debate at the convention and protests from some of the party members.

"If we drop our Islamic label, the Muslim conservative would rebel.

"This is the dilemma at the center of the current debate in PAS. We have to strike a balance."

Muslim-majority Malaysia is a country that consists of thirteen states and three federal territories.

Following the 2008 election, PAS joined other opposition parties in a coalition that now controls the Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor, Perak and Penang states.

Makeover

A debate is also raging inside the party over the election of new leaders to replace the incumbent ulema.

"Our current leaders are highly respected by us but we need leaders who can be accepted by all races, not just by PAS followers," said the party leader.

Scholars first rose to power in PAS in 1980 have since led the party.

They had passed a resolution stating that the party should only be led by a scholar, a policy affirmed by the PAS Shura Council earlier this month.

But for the first time in three decades, senior posts including the PAS deputy and three vice-presidents would be contested in polls.

"We are an Islamic party existing in a multi-ethnic environment that is undergoing dynamic political change."

By IslamOnline.net & Newspapers


Abu Umar : Look at the bold paragraph. I do not know who made this statement, but certainly I did not agree with it.! Less Islamic and more universal?Hmm...Islam itself is already Universal(Syumuliyyah) , Isn't it? Why do we need to be lessen our Islamic principle to win people's heart?