PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang is worried about race relations in Malaysia, and that is rich coming from him. Few politicians are less qualified to lecture the country on harmony.
At a recent media conference in Cyberjaya as reported by news portal MH Daily, Hadi made a startling claim: today’s race relations are in worse shape than in 1969.
That is the year of May 13 when racial riots between Malays and Chinese in Selangor left one of the darkest scars on the nation’s history. He placed the blame squarely on Chinese-dominated parties – DAP above all – and reminded the Chinese community that the Malays are the country’s original inhabitants.
The remarks are remarkable for what they leave out. Hadi seems blind to the racism within his own camp even though the faith he professes condemns it.
The Quran itself contains verses that celebrate diverse communities. Before pointing at DAP, he might look at what his own party has done:
- A boycott in Bayan Lepas: In the 2023 polls in six states (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan), Penang PAS members boycotted Gerakan president Dominic Lau. His offence was being nominated in the Malay-majority seat of Bayan Lepas.
- A community divided: It was Hadi who split the Malay Muslim community with what became known as Amanat Hadi in the 1980s. The rift was still being felt two decades later.
- A history lesson: On May 13, Hadi might also revisit his history books. The then Selangor Menteri Besar played a key role in what unfolded.
Equal footing vs associate status
DAP’s membership spans races and faiths, and all of them stand on an equal footing. PAS cannot say the same.
Non-Malays can only join as associate members through the PAS Supporters Congress with little real voice and not one sits on the central committee. With so small a role for non-Malays, one has to wonder what effort PAS has made to understand other faiths and traditions.
The silence that speaks
When Muslim converts and Malay Muslims turned vigilante and destroyed non-Muslim places of worship, Hadi and PAS said little.
Some PAS supporters even cheered the acts on, though such matters belong to the authorities. So what exactly has PAS done to improve race relations?
Pointing to harmony in Kelantan and Terengganu does not settle the matter. Non-Muslims make up about 2.75% of Terengganu’s population and roughly 5% of Kelantan’s, so the test has hardly been demanding.
And please, no appeals to Chinese daughters-in-law who no longer practise the faiths they were born into.
Hadi’s sudden concern may have a simpler explanation: PAS cannot win non-Malay support. The problem has been on the agenda at PAS general assemblies for several years running.
It is easier to blame others than to explain why your own party can’t win trust beyond its base. – Oct 21, 2026
