Finding the right path: the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party

Hadi Awang, president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Pas), speaks during a rally to promote the party manifesto ahead of Malaysia’s parliamentary elections later this year or next.

Pas is the Muslim-majority state’s second-largest political party with close to a million members. Once viewed as a promoter of fundamentalist Islam in politics, results from last month’s intra-party election indicate that times are changing for Pas. For the first time since 1983, party delegates elected a candidate who is not an ulama, or religious leader, as its deputy president. The election promoted a flock of other progressive politicians to top party leadership positions and provided the clearest sign yet that Pas intends to broaden its electoral appeal ahead of what many anticipate will be a hotly contested general election. With Pas’ new leadership, many political analysts believe the party’s goals and strategies, including a shift from promoting the creation of an Islamic state to a welfare state that prioritises justice and good governance, will take on more populist themes.