WAN Saiful Wan Jan, who left think tank Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) to join Bersatu, is thankful to PAS for fostering his interest in liberal ideals that form the basis of his political thought today.

He said in the early 1990s, the Islamist party had encouraged him to form own opinions and to have an open mind.

“I don’t have anything negative to say about PAS. Much of my experience with them was positive and I am thankful for that,” he said in an interview with The Malaysian Insight last night. 

Wan Saiful registered as a PAS life member in 1997. Today, a week after announcing his resignation from the Islamist party, he formally signs on with Bersatu.

Wan Saiful was the founder of IDEAS, a non-profit research institute specialising in public policy. The Kuala Lumpur-based think tank, formed in 2010, sought to promote the supremacy of law, a limited government, a free market economy and individual liberty.  

Wan Saiful described his political thought as classical liberalism.

“I don’t see any conflict (despite my membership with PAS). I still hold on to those principles,” he said.

Wan Saiful, however, said liberalism as interpreted in this country, is far milder and different from what is adopted in Europe.

“If we mention what it actually constitutes liberalism in Malaysia to the liberals in Europe, I think we would be laughed at,” he said.

Wan Saiful said PAS had changed under its current leader, Abdul Hadi Awang: “It’s as though the party has regressed to an age that only a handful of Malaysians could accept.”

However, in terms of political relevance, the Islamist party is not yet “buried” for the foreseeable future.

“I believe there’s always a place for PAS in this country. That cannot be denied. There will always be (social) conservatives in Malaysia,” he said. 

“For those who are conservative and politically inclined, PAS is the natural party for them. However, it can never be a national party,” he said. 

Wan Saiful said people such as himself, whose liberal ideals were fostered early on, no longer have a significant role to play in the Islamist party in its current state. 

“Leaving PAS doesn’t hinder me at all, as I haven’t had any significant role in the party for quite some time,” he said. 

Wan Saiful said by November, he felt he was only “marking the time” until he was sacked following several criticisms of the party. 

Among the criticisms were PAS abandoning progressive principles adopted by the late spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and its move towards Islamic conservatism following an internal crisis in 2015.

Moderate leaders later left the party to form Amanah, one of four parties that form the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan. – March 1, 2018.