ISLAMIST party PAS has started laying the groundwork for its campaign, based on race and religion, for the forthcoming elections in six states across the peninsula, analysts said.

These include the Terengganu state government’s strengthening of its shariah criminal law; Kedah’s forced closure of gaming outlets; and an Islamist lawmaker in Penang demanding a shopping mall cancel its Chinese New Year alcohol promotion.

State elections in PAS-held Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, and in Pakatan Harapan-run Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan are expected to be called by the middle of this year.

The analysts told The Malaysian Insight that by focusing on religion PAS was aiming to shore up support from the majority Malay-Muslim vote and ride the wave of its success in the recent general election.

Political analyst Tang Ah Chai said that PAS – and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition to which it belongs – will take this tack right up to election day, expected in June or July.

He said the religious card is a tried and trusted tactic in Malaysian politics, and the recent general election had shown it still works well.

Tang said the so-called green tsunami in November – PAS’s tremendous electoral success – made PAS the leading Malay party with the highest number of seats in legislative bodies.

He said he was disappointed in the lack of backbone shown by Chinese political leaders, with PAS trampling on the rights of non-Muslims and no one standing up for them.

He said he was particularly disappointed with the MCA, describing the party’s failure to confront PAS as “appalling”.

“Although MCA is now part of the ruling unity government and not aligned with PAS, it still chooses to remain silent.”

However, Tang said he believed MCA has not said anything because it is “not in a strong political position” within the unity government.

Meanwhile, DAP, a major partner in the unity government, is not spared Tang’s criticism. He said the Chinese-dominated party is no better than MCA.

Tang said he believed DAP chose to remain silent because the moment it speaks out, it would only provide ammunition to PAS to launch an all-out attack.

PAS’s ally in PN, Gerakan, which also has a strong Chinese base, is in no position to make demands, like making PAS retract hate speech.

Tang said Gerakan is showing restraint because it is not prepared to cut ties with PAS or PN just yet.

“It is hanging on to the PN in the hope of being given some seats to contest in the coming state elections.”

The situation now, Tang said, is that these parties lack the political clout to stand up to PAS in this area.

“It would just score more points for PAS, regardless of what they say.”

He also said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government is in no rush to respond to the opposition’s use of the religious card.

“They just want to avoid falling into the PAS political trap, so it is not necessary to respond to the provocations just yet,” he added.

“It is best to keep silent until the elections, unless PAS’s religious provocations show signs of boiling over.”

Making noise

Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said the biggest reason for the Chinese party leaders remaining silent is that they are tired of engaging in tit-for-tat debates.

The associate professor in the department of political science said while non-Muslims might have been offended by PAS actions in the past, they don’t bat an eyelid now.

“There is nothing to object to.”

Lau said non-Muslims need not fear PAS, as long as the party is not in power at any level because “whatever they do will have no impact”.

He pointed to Permatang Pauh MP Muhammad Fawwaz Mat Jan, who reprimanded a shopping mall in Penang over the open sale of alcohol, as an example.

“The most he could do was to merely make noise but he has no power to do anything else. That’s because he is not part of the ruling state government.”

However, Lau said decisions in PAS administered states would certainly affect the rights of non-Muslims because every policy that is implemented has religious connotations.

On January 10, Fawwaz, who is also PAS Penang youth chief, went to the shopping mall to express his “strong opposition” to the promotion and sale of alcoholic beverages in the main hall of the mall.

He claimed to have received complaints from the public about the promotion and said he had to take into account “Muslim sensitivities”. – January 16, 2023.