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PAS would continue its "policy of engagement and market the party to the voters," Nasharudin said.
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KUALA LUMPUR — Seeking to make a strong comeback to the country's political spectrum ahead of the early general elections later this year, the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) has launched a reform drive to re-shape its image and reach out to a wide cross-section of voters.
PAS would continue its "policy of engagement and market the party to the voters," the party's deputy chief Nasharudin Mat Isa, 44, told Reuters on Sunday, June 10.
Last week, the party promised what it called new leaders of "Young Turks" in the party's annual congress at PAS's stronghold state of Kelantan, to challenge Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition in the general elections expected to be held later this year.
PAS is also trying to place more women in pivotal positions to rebuff accusations of discrimination, and is reaching out more to non-Muslims.
It also sought to shed the hardline image it gained due to some policies.
During the past months, the party lifted a ban on pop concerts in Kelantan, a 15-year ban on billiards and allowed cinemas to operate.
It has also launched a campaign to reason with prostitutes throughout the country to seek another source of living.
Terence Chong, an analyst at Singapore's Institute of South East Asian Studies, predicts that PAS will try to woo back Malay voters through toning down the religion theme and depend more on campaigning for people's rights.
"While religious campaigning has always been the core of PAS, I think they are also learning to use the notion of Malay rights," Terence said.
With an estimated 800,000 members, PAS is the main rival of Prime Minister Abdullah's United Malays National Organization in the coming elections.
Once a growing opposition force, the party suffered a humiliating defeat in general elections in 2004, leaving it in control of only Kelantan state.
PAS currently has seven seats in the 219-seat lower house of parliament, down from 27 seats in 1999.
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| "I don't see how the presence of these so-called 'Young Turks' will make any change to the fundamental policies of the party," said Chandra. |
Skepticism
However, analysts remain skeptic of how far would PAS go with the new image initiative.
"I don't see how the presence of these so-called 'Young Turks' will make any change to the fundamental policies of the party," political analyst Chandra Muzaffar told Reuters.
Chandra added that the party would rely on the new generation of leaders only to look more flexible while seeking alliances with other opposition parties.
"The young ones are tactically more prepared to make some concessions to other actors in the political arena to secure an electoral pact or work out some sort of arrangement."
Building alliances is key for PAS to pose a threat to premier Abdullah, whose multiracial coalition looks set to retain its 50-year grip on power in the polls.
Its main election ally will be Parti Keadilan Rakyat, run by de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is also trying to put his own house in order.
Chandra believes that despite the new language, PAS will not likely abandon its long-adopted policies.
"I do not think PAS will move away from its commitment to an Islamic state. I don't think PAS will move away from hudud law," he said.
PAS has enacted the hudud (prescribed Islamic penalties) laws in Kelantan, to be imposed only on Muslims who represent about 90 per cent of the state's 1.5 million population.
The laws introduced Shari`ah punishments for theft, robbery, adultery, liquor consumption and apostasy.
Constitutionally, the Federal government under Abdullah barred PAS from enforcing Shari`ah.
Muslim Malays comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia’s 26 million people.
Ethnic Chinese and Indians - most of them Buddhists, Hindus and Christians - make up about 35 percent. The rest are indigenous people and Eurasians.
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