Malaysia's opposition party PAS promises supporters

Producer: Melanie Yip
First broadcast: 8 March 04, Radio Singapore International

In a bid to woo more Malay voters in the upcoming Malaysian elections on March 21, spiritual leader Niz Aziz Nik Mat from Parti Islam SeMalaysia, or PAS has remarked that voters who support PAS "will go to heaven".

PAS, which controls two of Malaysia's 13 states, wants to introduce strict Islamic laws to the country, including amputation of limbs for convicted thieves and execution by stoning for adulterers.

To what extent will the Islam factor be a dominant issue in the Malaysian elections.

Melanie Yip put this question to Ong Kian Ming (OKM), Senior Policy Analyst from the Sedar Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

OKM: It will not be that big of a factor, especially in the West Coast states in Malaysia. If you look at how Prime Minister Badawi had started his administration, he took the focus off Islamic issues and focused on issues of corruption, good governance, and delivery of public services, physical prudence. So I think the grounds for debate has been shifted by Prime Minister Badawi himself.

The opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia is making personal attacks on Prime Minister Abdullah Badawai's Islamic credentials. Will this have any significant impact on the Malay vote?

OKM: If you look at Hadi Awang's statements about Prime Minister Badawai's Islamic credentials like why did he not lead the prayers in his mother's funeral. I think those comments were not well-received at all by the public, and especially the Malay voters because I think these are personal attacks that could backfire on PAS.

There is a controversy over comments made by the spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat of Parti Islam SeMalaysia, or PAS. He was quoted as saying that voters "will go to heaven for choosing an Islamic party, while those who support un-Islamic parties will logically go to hell." What impact will this have for PAS, in terms of getting more support from Malay voters?

OKM: This is not a new strategy adopted by Nik Aziz or PAS. It's been used in the past before and most voters would be aware that this is just a electorate gimmick. Those people who support PAS are already hard-core PAS supporters. They do not need the inducement to get more support for PAS. Those who are against PAS will see it as a gimmick as well. The swing voters would be more concerned about bread and butter issues, and the issues that concern the public image of Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, rather than inducements of heaven.

Do you feel that Nik Aziz'z remarks will help to sway votes to UMNO from the large Chinese and Indian minorities as well, especially the traditional or conservative minority voters?

OKM: Nik Aziz and PAS do not have much support from the non-Malays in the first place. Whatever statement he has made recently will only cement their view that PAS is a party that cannot defend the rights of the minority voters in Malaysia. In terms of swaying votes, it would not be a major factor because most of the non-Malays will not support PAS anyway.

And that was Ong Kian Ming, Senior Policy Analyst from the Sedar Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Asscoiate Professor Hussin Mutalib (HM) from the National University of Singapore's Political Science Department agrees that statements like PAS' "ticket to heaven" promise would not go down well with voters.

HM: Yes, I think it is interesting that this politics of 'heaven and hell' is used by politicians specifically. In the context of political analysis, this will not benefit the speaker. In a sense, I think Nik Aziz is a well respected Islamic religious leader and scholar in Malaysia and in the region. I think he is trying to do a balancing act by consolidating the Malay-Muslim ground as it were, which PAS radically had transformed the political landscape in the last elections from UMNO. The non-Malays would be flabbergasted, if not angry that they are alienated from such sentiments. They would want to distance themselves from such a political party having such aspirations. The very fact of making such statements and having them so often reiterated in the mass media do not help him (Nik Aziz) or PAS as a political party against the non-Malay, non-Muslim voters in Malaysia.

And that was Associate Professor Hussin Mutalib from the Political Science Department at the National University of Singapore. He was speaking with Melanie Yip.