IN the recent PAS muktamar in Kedah, its president and supremo Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang raised the question as to why its non-Muslim wing (DHPP) cannot get the support of the Chinese voters in the country.
He said that if it was possible for DAP to get its Indian MPs elected in predominantly Chinese majority areas, then there is a possibility for PAS to get its non-Muslim wing candidates to be elected in Chinese majority areas.
I am not sure whether the question posed by Hadi was merely a rhetorical one; in other words, he knew the answer.
However, if Hadi does not understand why Indian DAP candidates get voted by the Chinese voters, then maybe I need to educate Hadi, if he permits me.
DAP members are predominantly Chinese, while Indians and other races constitute about 20% of the party’s membership. However, DAP, unlike PAS, is not an exclusive religious or ethnic party.
Our party, from the time of its formation until this very day, is a political party that is proud to label itself as multi-ethnic and multi-religious with a socialist bent.
While the party speaks on behalf of all classes of Malaysians, special emphasis is paid to the idea of democratic socialism, and the promotion of equality and justice through the parliamentary process of reforms and institution-building.
Unlike PAS, which does not make any distinction between the poor and the rich, DAP is concerned about the widening gaps between these two socio-economic categories.
PAS is also an exclusive Islamic party that does not have a place for non-Muslims.
Given the close identification of Islam with the Malays, PAS’s political agenda straddles between the two under varying opportunistic circumstances.
“So what if PAS has a non-Muslim wing?”
Yes, PAS has a non-Muslim wing. So what?
How can the party have a non-Muslim wing when non-Muslims are not accorded voting or decision-making rights in the organisation?
The party allowed the formation of the non-Muslim wing for opportunistic or propaganda reasons: to show to the public that PAS is not blind to the large presence of non-Muslims in the country.
But beyond this, the non-Muslim wing in the party is a plain affront to the dignity and pride of non-Muslims in the country.
PAS’ exclusionary politics is devoid of the concerns of the well-being of the non-Muslims. How then can the party expect its non-Muslim candidates, if at all they are nominated in the first place, to be supported by the Chinese or Indians?
I am not even sure whether Muslim PAS supporters will support their non-Muslim candidates.
How does Hadi expect the non-Muslims, Chinese and Indians to have sympathy for PAS’ non-Muslim wing when PAS has nothing but contempt and hatred for the non-Muslims?
How does one expect non-Muslims, in general, to have sympathy towards PAS when they are incessantly attacked and their religion and culture constantly ridiculed?
Except for a brief period of political cooperation between PAS and DAP during the Pakatan Rakyat days, there is no love lost between both parties.
In fact, PAS’ political survival is predicated on the need to demonise DAP as the party that is the source of all evils.
The latest attack by Hadi that non-Muslims are the source of corruption represents another instance of PAS continuing to attack the non-Muslims in this country.
“Is it really a surprise to Hadi?”
Is it really a surprise to Hadi that non-Muslims despise PAS for what the party leaders have done to the non-Muslims? Yet, he had the gall to question why the Chinese cannot elect members of the PAS’ non-Muslim wing to Parliament.
If Hadi is that ignorant, maybe he should spend some time to find out what is the relationship between Indians and DAP, and see why DAP attracts more Indian support than even the MIC, ostensibly the mother party of Indians.
Even PKR has a huge support base amongst Indians.
The answer is simple and straightforward: that DAP and PKR, by promoting multi-racial politics based on equality and judiciary, have earned the respect and trust of the non-Muslims.
The ethnicity or religion of Pakatan Harapan candidates is not a consideration; voters sympathetic to the coalition will be colour-blind in casting their votes.
How can PAS expect its non-Muslim wing members to be respected by the Chinese and Indians when they hardly have any respect in the party itself? As they say, charity begins at home.
PAS should respect the non-Muslim wing first by acknowledging that they are full-fledged members with voting and decision-making rights as Muslims members.
Only after placing the non-Muslims on the same footing as the Muslims can Hadi even think about getting the support of those who are sympathetic to DAP or even PKR.
As it is, PAS represents a political organisation that is anathema to the interests and well-being of the non-Muslims; it is an egregious example of what right thinking and rational-minded Malaysians should avoid. – Sept 5, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: Harakah Daily
