Since earlier this year, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi has set his sights on PAS reclaiming Terengganu and Kedah from Barisan Nasional, while becoming the leading party in Selangor. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, June 7 ― Now solitary, Islamist party PAS believes it can wrangle votes in urban seats from ethnic Chinese and Indians who are afraid of being seen as “anti-Islam”.
Its Youth wing chief, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, claimed there was “uneasiness” among the minorities against its former ally DAP for allegedly “attacking” PAS over its president’s attempt to seek harsher penalties under Shariah laws.
“For example, in the RUU355 [issue] where we see there are Chinese, Indian community that do not want to be pictured as anti-Islam, anti to the rights demanded by Muslims,” Khalil said in an interview with ProjekMMO, Malay Mail Online’s sister publication.
RUU355 refers to the private member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, or Act 355, brought by Khalil’s father and party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
“I believe if PAS comes in [to contest] in DAP and PKR’s seats [in the next election], there will be three-cornered fights, where the votes of non-Malay Muslims may also come to PAS,” he said.
Khalil also said he was optimistic that the Islamist party could win in Malay-majority seats with 60 per cent Malay voters, even when up against ruling party Umno.
“PAS fights for Islamic issues, rights of Muslims consistently, I believe Malays will give their votes to PAS, and that is how it is supposed to be,” said Khalil.
“So if we can get high percentage from the 60 per cent, we only need small amount from the voice or votes of non-Muslims to give support to Islam.”
Since earlier this year, Hadi has set his sights on PAS reclaiming Terengganu and Kedah from Barisan Nasional (BN), while becoming the leading party in Selangor.
He is targeting for PAS to win 40 federal seats, even though the party has refused to form an alliance with the Pakatan Harapan Opposition pact or the ruling BN.
In 2013, as part of the defunct Pakatan Rakyat pact, PAS won 21 out of the 73 federal seats it contested.
Of those, only 14 are still held by PAS after six of its MPs left to form splinter Parti Amanah Negara, and another went to join PKR.
Post time 8-6-2017 09:41 AM
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