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SHAH ALAM – Islamist party PAS is heading to its 69th muktamar (gathering) here in the strongest position it has ever been, with four states under its control while having a promising cadre and sturdy ulama leadership.

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PAS was formed in 1951 as a splinter from the Malay nationalist party Umno at Butterworth, Penang – a state where it has made huge inroads in the past decade with seven state seats. This is in addition not to the 43 parliamentary seats it holds out of the total 222 in the Dewan Rakyat.

Incidentally, the party was formed in the house of fifth prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's grandfather, himself a religious scholar and former Umno president.

As the 1,800 delegates gather, there will be speeches and war cries in support of the Palestinians. There are also undercurrents wading through the party, which has close to one million members.

As this year's party biennial election has become a muted affair after PAS' central committee agreed to have no contests for the top five posts, it means that longest serving PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, a hardline cleric, will be elected unopposed.

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Hadi: Winning non-Malay, non-Muslim votes crucial for GE16

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang emphasised the significance of securing support from non-Malay and non-Muslim voters in the 16th General Election (GE16). While PAS has already garnered substantial backing from the Malay community, Hadi acknowledged the crucial task of extending their appeal to a broader demographic.

Describing this task as an “important and challenging” responsibility, Hadi asserted that this is crucial for its coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) to form the federal government on its own in the upcoming polls.

He reiterated that PAS’s agenda of “uniting the ummah” does not mean the rights of non-Malays and non-Muslims would be ignored.

“In fact, we will continue to preserve freedom of religion and ensure justice, as enshrined under the Federal Constitution,” he affirmed in officiating PAS’s 69th muktamar.

Hadi also pointed out the responsibility shared with their coalition partner Gerakan. He stressed the need for Gerakan to intensify efforts in attracting non-Muslim support and enlightening them about the advantages of a PN administration.

“The responsibility of attracting non-Muslim support and explaining to them that justice and harmony would be guaranteed under PN rule must be carried out, especially by our friends in Gerakan,” he noted. – Oct 20, 2023

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