International   

Party gives up Islamic state goal

SINGAPORE: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), a radical opposition outfit, has jettisoned its goal of transforming the country into an Islamic state.

This was indicated by PAS president Hadi Awang in Kuala Lumpur, when he released the party’s manifesto for Malaysia’s snap general election, scheduled for March 8. Mr. Hadi said his party would seek to establish a “welfare state” in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

The government should, in his view, provide education and health care facilities “free” of cost.

The party’s agenda would centre on the creation of a government based on people’s “trust.”

Towards this end, PAS would combat “corruption, cronyism, and nepotism.”

The party was never before so categorical about a “welfare state” as different from a Sharia-based Islamic polity, according to regional observers.

Mr. Hadi’s new line is also seen as a sop to the two main minorities – ethnic Chinese and the people of Indian origin. Both these communities are known to be extremely wary of the religious orientation of PAS.

At another level, PAS is now trying to “reinvent” itself and become more acceptable to the mainstream opposition parties, who have called for a consolidation of their forces.

PAS now administers one state in Malaysia.

In 2003, Mr. Hadi had outlined a “two-tiered strategy” of jettisoning the objective of an Islamic state at the federal level and instead striving to set up Sharia-based administrations in the states.

However, PAS soon faced factional strife over that line and, therefore, reversed it.

And, the “Islamic State Document” was then released as the party’s pan-Malaysia agenda. Nonetheless, the factionalism partly accounted for the party’s rout in the last general election in 2004.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cuban lawmakers to name President
No basis for further sanctions, says Iran
Protect civilians: TULF
Party gives up Islamic state goal
Pact on Madhesh state
Art, not commerce looks set to be cherished at Oscars
3 bankers jailed for Enron-linked fraud

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu