PAS Youth chief: Race-based parties still relevant

KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS believes there is still a place for race-based parties in the new political climate, especially among the Malays.

The Islamist party’s Youth chief, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, said it is crucial to maintain race-based parties, especially among the Malays, as it would encourage stronger solidarity and unity among them. 

“The Malays play an important part in the country’s stability, as they are the core of the country. 

“Being the core, they also should be the foundation of the country’s administration,” he said at a Hari Raya open house in Batu Buruk. 

He claimed that the recent general election also showed that Malays still preferred Malay-dominant parties. 

“Seventy per cent of Malays opted for PAS or Umno, as opposed to just 30% who voted for Pakatan Harapan,” he said. 

Pakatan is made up of multi-racial parties, such as DAP and PKR and Malay-dominated offshoots of PAS and Umno, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. 

Separately, Muhammad Khalil, who is also Batu Buruk assemblyman, congratulated his contemporary, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who decided to vie for the Umno president seat in the party’s upcoming election. 

“In the last election, Malaysians voted for change. 

“Therefore, (Khairy’s nomination) is an interesting development and we’ll be all waiting to see what happens,” he said. 

Khairy will face six others in the bid for the party’s top post, including acting president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and veteran Umno member Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.