Former UMNO leaders join Islamic party in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has accepted 14 prominent figures, including a former minister, political leaders, academics, and community activists, into the party ahead of state polls in Malaysia.

It is a move that created waves among political parties, in particular with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) dismissing claims that former members joining PAS will strengthen the Islamic party.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said a former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law), Zaid Ibrahim, joined PAS.

Zaid has been a member of UMNO before he quit the party to join Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), but he left PKR to rejoin UMNO and is now a PAS member. He was seen as a liberal Malay politician. Nevertheless, he pledged to help reshape public perception of PAS, describing the party as capable of governing a multicultural Malaysia based on justice and equality.

He also expressed confidence that Pas would play a leading role in forming the next federal government.

“PAS will govern Malaysia together with like-minded progressive MPs after the next general election,” he said.

This is in contrast to Zaid’s past statements regarding PAS, which he allegedly called a party of extremists.

Zaid, who officially joined Pas together with 13 other political figures, said he was warmly received by the party’s top leadership when he was admitted as a member last night.

“They’re warm, sincere and friendly. I will repay their faith. I will work hard to dispel the image of PAS as an extreme anti-democratic party, not suitable for a multicultural Malaysia,” he said.

He also said PAS was the only Malay-majority political party with the determination to address inequality, hegemony and preferential treatment based on class, adding that a PAS-led administration would uphold fairness and reject double standards.

“You will not have, under PAS rule, (a situation) where we are described as equal, but some are more equal than others,” he said.

However, UMNO vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin responded with a terse “good luck” when asked about the decision by several former party figures to join PAS.

He downplayed former Zaid Ibrahim’s move to PAS, describing it as unsurprising.

Khaled said Zaid had left UMNO “a long time ago” despite returning in 2022, and that the former Kota Bharu MP was likely looking for a new party to retain political relevance, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“He’s been looking for a new place to shelter him. Good luck,” he was quoted as saying.