Actor Eizlan Yusof finds political home in PAS after UMNO stint

Actor Datuk Eizlan Yusof, 54, has found a political home in the Malaysian Islamist party PAS, a journey that saw him transition from UMNO and briefly align with Parti Pejuang Tanah Air. Yusof's political path has been marked by shifts, initially leaving UMNO due to internal issues before joining former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's Gerakan Tanah Air and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.

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People say you don't know until you know. I was a bit skeptical at first because I had been in UMNO for a long time. But when I saw the principles of the struggle, I felt that the struggles of UMNO and PAS were actually aligned.

He later aligned with politician Tan Sri Annuar Musa through the NGO Muafakat Nasional before following Musa into PAS. Yusof admitted to initial skepticism about PAS, stemming from his long association with UMNO. However, he found the party's principles to be in sync with UMNO's and was impressed by its 'lenient' approach to accepting diverse members, including professionals like Terengganu Menteri Besar Dr. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. He described PAS as a Malay-Islam party consistently upholding its struggle.

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PAS is actually very 'lenient' and willing to accept all levels of society. We can see many professionals in the party. For example, the Menteri Besar of Terengganu, Dr. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. For me, PAS is a Malay-Islam party that is very consistent with its struggle.

A significant factor in Yusof's political choices is his firm stance against cooperating with DAP, which he finds uncomfortable. He believes PAS is more open-minded than commonly perceived, noting its well-organized structure and unified grassroots. Yusof's experience has transformed his initial skepticism into a clear understanding of the party's operational dynamics.

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In the political world, I cannot accept DAP. That is my principle of struggle. That's why if I have to be with DAP, I am rather uncomfortable.