Malaysia: Minorities wary of
Islamist overtures By Baradan
Kuppusamy
KUALA LUMPUR - The opposition
Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) is making promises
of "justice and equality" to the country's
non-Muslims in an appeal to broaden its electoral
support base in anticipation of general elections
next year.
Non-Muslims, including Chinese,
Indians and other ethnic groups that make up 40%
of Malaysia's 26 million people, though deeply
desirous of political change, through their voting
behavior have historically been suspicious of the
fundamentalist PAS's political agenda.
The
PAS's new strategy seeks to convince non-Muslims
that the party now aims to protect and preserve
other cultures, traditions
and
religions. Moderate Muslim and non-Muslim voters
punished PAS during the 2004 general election,
where the party managed to retain just seven of
its previous 27 seats in parliament. So bad was
the drubbing that PAS opposition leader, Abdul
Hadi Awang, lost his parliamentary seat.
At the time, PAS ran on the promise to set
up an Islamic theocracy if it came to power. The
Islamic party has since undertaken a major
makeover that is notably more in tune with the
country's constitutional secular principles, which
recognize the rights and interests of Chinese,
Indians and other minorities. At the same time, a
moderate, Western-educated group of leaders is
also affecting sweeping changes through the
National Front coalition government led by the
United Malays National Organization (UMNO).
Prompted by its 2004 electoral drubbing,
PAS strategists are beginning to reach out to
non-Muslims. Changes on the anvil include the
party's new willingness to accept minority Chinese
and Indians as associate members, a stated
readiness to field non-Muslims as candidates in
elections under the Islamic banner, and opening
membership in the traditionally all-male Supreme
Council to women.
"PAS members are now
more mature and educated to accept such ideas,"
said PAS deputy president Nasaruddin Isa. "Islam
guarantees equality and justice for all members,
irrespective of their religion and race."
Critics argue that the changes are
insincere and specifically designed to temper the
party's extremist image that ill-served the party
during the 2004 election. Political analysts
contend that the party still needs to widen its
appeal and articulate its new moderate message in
secular rather than Islamist language. It would
also be well served in campaigning on issues with
universal appeal, such as the recent fuel-price
hikes.
It's still unclear how non-Muslims,
who historically have directly opposed PAS's
theocratic ambitions, will react to the party's
changes. PAS has its public relations machine in
motion and is readying a road show to demonstrate
its new moderate outlook and openness.
PAS, which rules Kelantan state in
northern Malaysia, is also offering non-Muslims
what they have desired since independence in 1957
- equality with native Malays through abolition of
the UMNO-administered affirmative-action policies
that favor ethnic Malays over other ethnic groups.
PAS is also promising a more transparent,
accountable and avowed corruption-free government,
in which the sole criterion for participation in
the party is merit rather than race or religion.
All of those policies are attractive to
non-Muslims, but the fear of PAS's previous vow to
establish a theocratic state is deep-rooted.
Islamic fears That fear has
traditionally driven Malaysia's non-Muslims into
supporting the 14-party coalition government that
has been in power since 1957, even though the
National Front implemented and maintains its
biased affirmative-action policies.
Led by
the UMNO, the National Front has dominated
politics because non-Muslims have supported it in
exchange for the party's guarantee of adherence to
secularism.
"It is a very interesting
experiment PAS has embarked upon. Previously,
there was considerable non-Muslim sympathy for PAS
because it had dedicated and incorruptible leaders
who preached justice and equality," said Raja
Petra Kamaruddin, editor of the Malaysia Today
news website. "But after [September 11, 2001] and
the 'war on terror', the very word 'Islam'
terrifies non-Muslims.
"PAS is out to
clean up this image in time for an early general
election," he said.
Kamaruddin admits that
the divide between Muslims and non-Muslims has
widened considerably in recent years. "Even
opposition political parties refuse to join an
opposition coalition if PAS is a member," he said.
In the aftermath of Malaysia's 1999
general election, non-Muslim voters punished the
opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), which
largely represents the interests of the
ethnic-Chinese community, for forming a coalition
with PAS. After the DAP walked out of the
coalition, those same voters rewarded it by
increasing their numbers at the 2004 general
election.
Opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim,
who was imprisoned by former premier Mahathir
Mohamad, is now free and racing against time to
persuade non-Muslims not to fall prey to
anti-Islam phobia. Anwar, who has formed an
alliance with PAS, is now trying to woo the
secular DAP into his political camp. But many DAP
leaders recall what happened when they joined
forces with PAS in the past and are opposed to the
idea unless PAS publicly renounces its Islamic
agenda.
More than a million Malay Muslims
voted for PAS in the 2004 general election,
implicitly endorsing the party's Islamic-state
platform. For PAS to renounce that policy,
political analysts say, would risk undermining its
main support base and could lead to internal
dissension among senior party members.
Many non-Muslims are caught in the same
catch-22 dilemma: they like PAS's clean image and
transparent management, but they strongly oppose
any political program based entirely on Islam.
"I will join PAS if it gives up Islam,"
said trade unionist A V Kathiah. "Like me, many
Malaysians will consider joining PAS because it
has clean and credible leaders. The problem is
that these leaders see everything through the
prism of Islam."
Mahfuz Omar, a senior PAS
leader, said non-Muslim fears of Islam are
irrational and unjustified. "PAS is making a big
sacrifice by opening its doors to non-Muslims," he
said. "Over time, non-Muslims will realize that
Islam is perfect for this life and the hereafter.
What more would anybody want?"
In this
existence, Malaysia's non-Muslims clearly want
political equality, the repeal of unequal laws and
an end to policies that favor the dominant Malay
race over others.
While the PAS's new
strategy addresses important issues of cultural
autonomy, ethnic equality and integrity,
suspicions also remain about the party's
historically controversial policies on religious
freedom, gender equality and even dress codes.
