TO project a tolerant and inclusive image, about 10% of PAS candidates in the 14th general election will be non-Muslims, said a top strategist.  

But analysts said this tactic will not win back the support of non-Muslims that the Islamist party lost when it broke off with its allies DAP and PKR.

Even more incongruent is the fact that while PAS wants non-Muslims lawmakers, its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, insists that any future PAS cabinet will consist of Muslims only.

“Hadi’s statement will make it hard for PAS to get support from non-Muslims and some Muslims despite the fact that it wants to field non-Muslim candidates,” said analyst Hisommudin Bakar.

Another analyst Prof Dr Mohamad Abu Bakar said this was a necessary strategy for the Islamist party if it wants to be seen as independent of the two main coalitions – Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).

Like it or not, it has to show that it is a party that is not dependent on BN or PH, said Mohamad formerly of Universiti Malaya.

Winning factor

The proposal to field non-Muslims was first made by Pahang PAS on December 23. It said 10% of its candidates for the state’s 13 parliamentary and 38 state assembly seats will be non-Muslims.

PAS election director Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the proposal is not limited to Pahang but will be implemented nationwide.

PAS previously said it aims to contest more than 100 parliamentary seats in GE14 as it wants a shot at taking over Putrajaya.

This includes seats in Sabah and Sarawak, which it contested in the 2013 general election.

“The 10% in Pahang is just a guide. At the national level, we will base it on win-ability. In constituencies where there is a potential (for a win),” Samsuri told The Malaysian Insight.

“It could be less than but also more than 10%. It shows that we are committed to candidates from various communities.” 

Samsuri added that the party has already identified seats where it will field non-Muslims but said they will only be announced closer to GE14.

Though the elections must be held by August, there are signs that they will be held in either March or April.

Electoral tactic 

Mohamad of Universiti Malaya said that the tactic is necessary if Pas is serious about appearing as inclusive and independent of Umno.

PAS has been trying to position itself as a true alternative to PH and BN. But there exists the perception that it is working with Umno and BN because of its strident criticism of PH.

So to prove it is truly independent, PAS has to field non-Muslim candidates against BN in seats it may not win, said Mohamad.  

“It has to have an independent image otherwise PH will say it is an Umno puppet. But if it projects that image, Umno supporters won’t vote for it either. Voters will think that between Umno and PAS, you might as well vote for Umno.”

Hisommudin, of Ilham Centre, said the tactic is for PAS to woo non-Muslim voters which were lost after it broke off with DAP and PKR.

“It’s a strategy they will probably use in west coast states, such as Perak, Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Johor.”

However, it is unlikely to gain non-Muslim support, as such voters looked at a party’s policies and ideology instead of its candidates, said Hisommudin.

“What is important are the policies a party brings. PAS’ policies now are confusing to voters,” he said.

Although PAS is an opposition party, it has not clearly explained why it abstained from voting against Budget 2018 in Parliament and its ambivalence on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, said Hisommudin.   

“These things are important when voters decided who to vote for,” he said. – December 26, 2017.