By Zainal Epi - Free Malaysia Today,KUALA LUMPUR: PAS is expected to chart a new course that will see the party open its doors to non-Muslims as it gears itself up to face the challenges ahead.
It will propose guidelines on how the non-Muslims could contribute and strengthen the party base without compromising its Islamic principles.
This is one of the issues that will be highlighted when the party's high command meets for a three-day assembly beginning this Friday.
PAS president Hadi Awang mooted the idea of setting up the Dewan Penyokong Bukan Islam (non-Muslims support wing) last month, with the aim of roping in the non-Muslims. This move, considered crucial for the next general election, is expected to take centre-stage at the assembly.
Numbers game
Delegates are expected to stress the importance of having such a wing to give the party a wider support base, given that Malay support has declined.
PAS leaders and members had admitted that despite the good showing in the 2008 general election, the party was said to have received only 35% of the Malay electorate.
Delegates are also expected to emphasise the point that DAP is the strongest party in Pakatan Rakyat, capturing about 65% of the Chinese votes.
Given such a background, delegates are expected to debate on how best the party could accommodate the non-Muslim supporters so that they could add up to the numbers game that could make the party a formidable force in Pakatan.
The party had succeeded in bagging the non-Muslim vote bank in the 2008 general election, but it has never decided on how far the non-Muslims could be accepted in the 45-year-old Islamic-based party.
Nevertheless, PAS has been making attempts to change its dour image to make it more appealing to the non-Muslims. For example, it has been playing down its Islamic state dream to allay the fears of the non-Muslims.
PAS-ruled states such as Kelantan and Kedah have also proven to the non-Muslims that the party, despite its religious outlook, is open to adopting the lifestyle of the non-Muslims.
Party discipline
PAS’ attempts to win over the non-Muslims could be traced back to the 1980s when it set up a Chinese Consultative Council (CCC).At that time, the party wanted the non-Muslims to merely understand its struggles and objectives without shedding its clerical aura.
Besides, the stern appearance of its leaders with their skull caps, long beard and green robes didn't help their cause – the non-Muslims shunned the party.
Meanwhile, the CCC simply disappeared from the radar screen.
But things began to brighten up when PAS joined the loose alliance of Pakatan and went to battle in 2008. That historic event saw a large swing of non-Muslim voters to PAS.
Thus, delegates to the upcoming PAS assembly will want to reinforce the party by making it easier for more non-Muslims to join its ranks.
The delegates are also expected to debate on party discipline in view of the defections of several PKR elected representatives. So far, no PAS MPs or assemblmen had hopped over to the Barisan Nasional camp and the party wants to ensure this disciplined rank is not broken.
On economy, the delegates are unlikely to dwell much on it as the party has yet to come out with a viable Islamic economic plan to counter the current economic system of the ruling BN.
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