NEWLY minted PAS member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has urged the party to articulate clear economic policies and project fearless leadership to challenge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a post on his social media accounts today, Zaid said PAS has regained trust among other faiths on religious freedom but must now win over the business community.
“It would be great if the party had the presence of Chinese billionaires, the likes of Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah and Tan Sri Vincent Tan; of Gamuda and IOI and Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan. Smart people take insurance; that’s all I can say,” he remarked.
Zaid stressed that PAS must dispel perceptions of being unable to govern by presenting credible economic strategies.
“It’s not too late to articulate the economic policies of the party to dispel the notion that the party will not be able to govern,” he said.
He added that PAS needs a fearless leader to take on Anwar, whom he described as tenacious and creative.
“Anwar has the tenacious, persistent qualities the opposition must emulate to win. He is also creative; he can sell ice cream to the Eskimos,” Zaid said, urging PAS to make bold promises with only seven months left before the next polls.
On the other hand, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan last night clarified that the phrase “joining PAS means going to heaven” may be a mocking taunt used by political opponents against the party.
However, he explained that an individual can indeed enter heaven through the cause they champion.
“If we die while fighting to defend Islam, there is no doubt that we will be considered martyrs, rewarded with good deeds, and admitted into heaven.
“So they (the opposition) mockingly say that joining PAS means going to heaven… Well yes, if you join PAS and accept Islam, fighting on the path of Islam, seeking Islam, whether in this world or the hereafter.
“Joining PAS in that manner, insha-Allah (God willing), we can enter heaven when we die. That is a certainty, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. — Sept 5, 2026
