PAS, the merchant traders of Islam


THE best stress test of any political party of a specific religious creed is the extent to which it can reflect beyond the narrow, parochial definition of Muslims to empathise with the problems faced by all communities.

Instead of encouraging Muslims to love knowledge – the kind of knowledge that can draw one closer to Allah and Prophet Muhammad – the leadership of PAS is revelling in the role of a so-called kingmaker.

At the party’s recent annual gathering, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had the temerity to talk bout wresting 27 seats from Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Missing from the discussions were the guilty verdicts of Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor. It is almost as if PAS were side-stepping their heinous crimes of plunder and corruption and the endemic nature of graft in  Malaysia.

Islam does not encourage one to talk about the sins of others when the acts of transgressions cannot be proven.

Once they are proven, however, a healthy policy discourse must follow. Leaders must advise people to embrace virtue and to avoid the perpetuation of more sins.

One delegate affirmed that “PAS will always win since it follows the righteous road.” What righteous road? 

Where is the policy leadership of PAS on critical issues of the day such as a pandemic that has gone endemic, food security that is severely lacking, poverty traps that are proving exceedingly difficult to solve since they affect not just the B40 but the whole country. Where does PAS stand on any one of these issues? 

At a time when the Malaysian economy remains badly hurt by the effects of the pandemic and a potential monkeypox outbreak,  it is both shocking and depressing that PAS has not advised th government alert the government on what more needs to be done. 

It is as clear as day that Malaysia is reeking with all forms of corruption peddled by all manner of cartels in and outside the government as well as key decision-makers at the federal and state levels.

At a time when Malaysia is facing gross inflation, corruption can compound the problem of high costs,  especially when the subsidy scheme is not without its flaws. For example, there is nothing in the Quran or hadith that says non-Muslims do not deserve to be helped. If anything it is the contrary as Islam means mercy and compassion for all.

it is startling that the leadership and laity that call themselves members of PAS cannot muster the necessary aptitude, let alone attitude, to pass a simple policy motion on how to reform and reset Malaysia. 

By this token PAS is a failed political party that peddles religion to mask it persistent failures. It is the merchant traders of Islam.

What makes these failures even more glaring is the fact that PAS has had real experience in federal and state government.

It worked with Barisan Nasional in 1975 before it was jettisoned for being too orthodox almost to the degree of being a coercive party.

PAS has failed Malaysians again and again  despite being given the chance to rule Kelantan since 1979 and occasionally, Terengganu.

Now that it is part of the federal government, contributing 18 MPs to Perikatan Nasional, how can it remain silent on the issues that matter most to the people?

At the recent gathering, PAS appeared to have had no serious discussion on the rise in the cost of living, stagnant wages, high unemployment rate, especially among Muslim youth, and growing drug abuse. PAS is also quiescent matters such as climate change, which is triggering flooding swatches of the country, including the capital.

The reason is PAS does not care. 

Its grotesque emphasis on how many seats it will contest in the general election harks at its desire  to undermine one of the key objectives of shariah, which is to protect the interest of all, without any discrimination against people of other faiths.

PAS assumes that what is out of sight is out of mind. It is precisely this kind of apathy that has reduced the Muslim world to a pathetic reflection of its golden past five centuries ago.

PAS is the oldest political party in the Muslim world preceding even the transition of the Muslim Brotherhood into a political movement. 

Its conscious decision not to debate key issues shows it is silently in cahoots with Bersatu Umno. 

The current PAS is a blight on the legacy of the late Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Fadzil Noor. 

Forget not that PAS has said that it is “satisfied’ with the explanation of former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda on the 1MDB scandal. If it can be “satisfied” at such a scandal, imagine what will happen if it is entrusted with the government of this nation. No, Mas! – September 7, 2022.

Dr Rais Hussin is Emir Research CEO.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.


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Comments


  • ..... but they are more interested in banning concerts.

    Hypocrites! Then they should request their supporters to boycott Saudi Arabia.

    Google-lah videos "MDL Beast"!

    Posted 1 year ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • No point to write this article in English.

    Posted 1 year ago by Anonymous 1234 · Reply