PAS has ditched Islamic struggle in favour of racial lens, says Khalid Samad
KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Parti Amanah Negara's Khalid Abd Samad has today accused PAS of jettisoning Islamic teachings as its political compass in favour of racial politics, after its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang championed Malay political dominance.
Khalid, who had left PAS along with others to form Amanah, said the Islamist party has strayed from its roots — saying whereas it has previously even made rejecting tribalism a theme of its annual congress, this has now been discarded.
“PAS seems to have brought a new policy and approach in its movement by making race the base of its struggle, and no longer Islam,” the Amanah communications director said in a statement.
“This means, the Islamic policies and approach that is perfect and complete, built based on the strength of one's faith while ignoring race and lineage, is no longer PAS' approach like before,” he added, hinting that Abdul Hadi has also admitted that PAS' formation after exiting Umno decades ago was a mistake.
Khalid also told voters to reject PAS and its struggle due to it interpreting the Islamic faith on its own whim for the sake of its political interest and personal desire — after Abdul Hadi used Prophet Muhammad's struggle to justify PAS' alliance with former enemy Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Earlier today, Abdul Hadi and several PAS leaders signed the “Malay Proclamation” in the presence of former two-time prime minister Dr Mahathir.
In justifying his decision to work with former rival Dr Mahathir, Abdul Hadi cited the need to put aside any ideological differences to achieve Malay political dominance.
Abdul Hadi said his party and Dr Mahathir shared many “similarities” even as the latter had “wronged” PAS before, as he called on Malay political leaders to unite in the face of a supposed covert attempt by minority groups to usurp political control led by DAP.
Hadi suggested God created “race” for a reason by claiming prophets needed to spread Islam first to their family and race, but then postulated that unity for Islam should trump communalism as he declared it a sin for all Muslims, including Chinese Muslims, to support any other political movements that are seen as “un-Islamic”.
The former Shah Alam MP also insinuated that PAS has joined forces with Dr Mahathir — who had left Parti Pejuang Tanahair for Malay-Muslim coalition Gerakan Tanah Air — as it is seeking new financial sources to fund the party.
This comes as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it seized two Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia bank accounts under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
PAS and Bersatu are partners in the Perikatan Nasional coalition which failed to form the federal government after the 15th general election, and have made public its desire to overthrow Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's administration.
