PAS Congress: Political Cooperation Has Clearly Shaped Voting Patterns in State Elections

The agenda of Muslim unity should not end when a state election is over, PAS Ulama chief Datuk Ahmad Yahya told the party’s annual assembly in Kota Bharu.

Ahmad said the challenge involved more than raising political awareness among Muslims. It also required building trust among non-Muslims who might be caught up in ethnic politics. He pointed to the Negeri Sembilan state election as evidence that cooperation under the concept of ta’awun siyasi could influence how people voted.

“Although the cooperation in the Negeri Sembilan state election was a loose form of ta’awun siyasi that did not bind either side, it nevertheless had a clear effect on voting patterns in that election,” Ahmad said. He added that the result showed Muslim unity could grow into a broader political idea rather than remain an arrangement formed only during elections.

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Although the cooperation in the Negeri Sembilan state election was a loose form of ta’awun siyasi that did not bind either side, it nevertheless had a clear effect on voting patterns in that election.

Ahmad called for stronger religious education, organisation and election machinery to support the effort. He said religious scholars had an important role in ensuring that the message of unity was understood by Muslims and in building non-Muslims’ confidence in the broader unity agenda.

He also warned PAS’s election machinery not to become complacent after its victories. More state elections are ahead in Melaka and Sarawak, he said, followed by the 16th general election, which would provide a tougher test of the strength and cohesion of Malay-Muslim political power.

“We must not be lulled by the victories we have achieved. We must continue working harder to ensure that Malay-Muslim politics remains at the forefront of the country’s politics,” Ahmad said.

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We must not be lulled by the victories we have achieved. We must continue working harder to ensure that Malay-Muslim politics remains at the forefront of the country’s politics.