A reinvented PAS seeks to replace Umno

'With the Erdogans, PAS will be able to distinguish itself as a progressive party, whereas Umno will increasingly be seen as regressive.'

Mat Sabu is PAS new deputy president

Nik V: Congratulation to the winners and my respect to all who ran. Continue to always be inclusive and not exclusive, and all Malaysians will back you. For Malaysians today are progressive and have no fear but reverence for good leaders no matter their race or creed. Syabas dan segala tahniah kepada semua pemimpin PAS.

Ferdtan: The choice is obvious: the election of the so-called Erdogans team is aimed at the looming GE. PAS members are wise enough to know that they need to have fighters and professionals to spearhead the effort to win the elections, and to spread the wing of the party nationally.

Mat Sabu has no backing from any 'camp', but he still won. He won more on his loyalty to the party, his personality and energy to galvanise the party for the general election. He advocates 'inclusiveness' within and without the party.

With Abdul Hadi Awang and Mat Sabu at the helm of the party, PAS will certainly play a more dominant role in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. The results of the PAS party election will certainly scare the shit out of Umno.

PR4MSIA: This is good news for PAS, Pakatan, and Malaysians in general. The Erdogans' control of senior leadership positions will mean that PAS will be able to distinguish itself amongst the electorate as a progressive party, whereas Umno will increasingly be seen as regressive.

I am excited for what the future holds with Mat Sabu as No 2.

Anonymous_5fb: PAS' strategy, which put emphasis of 'welfare state' instead of 'Islamic state', has succeeded in giving itself a fresh look. This explains the victory of Mat Sabu and other non-ulama candidates.

Ssshhh: It's time for PAS to be progressive and pro-active in gaining support from the Chinese, Indians and East Malaysians, and most importantly to break Umno's dominant control over rural Malay voters.

Arbee: In a Western democracy, winning a position (in any organisation) is considered an honour, whilst in an Islamic democracy winning a position is a responsibility (to the muslimin muslimat/mukminin mukminat), so, to those who got elected, remember "hablumminannas, hablumminallah" - kasih manusia, kasih Allah, jangan kasih sendiri.

Remember also what you do is for the sake of Allah and His creations (both humans and non-humans). Remember also that prayers must be accompanied by actions.

Tkc: Congratulations to PAS for conducting a truly democratic election - no childish tantrums, no throwing of chairs, no back-biting, no sour grapes and best of all, no brown envelopes. Just grown men behaving like grown men. There is a future for our country yet. Bravo!

'Lucky' Mat Sabu aims to take PAS to wider audience

SusahKes: I believe the winners represent not just the aspirations of PAS members, but that of Malaysians who want to see progress and change in the way this country is being managed.

For far too long Umno and its minions, like MCA, have been using race and religion to divide and rule. I bet the likes of Dr Chua Soi Lek would be scratching his head now - he can't use the "PAS is made up of a bunch of fundamentalists" to scare voters.

Malaysia wants change desperately, and by voting in the current office bearers, PAS has endeared itself even more to Malaysians.

Multi Racial: I am happy with the maturity demonstrated by PAS members and leaders. Both the winners and losers have shown true leadership and I hope the other Pakatan leaders could learn from them. As to BN, I am sure they too can benefit if they want, but the BN, especially Umno, is still in denial.

Victory of the 'Erdogans' bodes well for Pakatan

Swipenter: For the past five decades, the politics in this country is all about racialism and Islam, and unfortunately still is.

Until and unless the Malays are willing to discard such a mindset and do not see race and religion as everything essential to the political life of the country then we can truly have a united Malaysia.

When the minorities stand up to Umno/BN, it is always made out be a threat to the rights of the Malays and Islam by the Umno-led government, and all kinds of threats of bloodshed and violence ala May 13 are issued by Malay nationalists for these ungratefulpendatangs.

The only hope the minorities have is to join the Malays. Martin Luther King would not be so successful in his fight for civil and equal rights for the blacks/minorities if the majority of Americans are not behind him.

Kingfisher: PAS has demonstrated quite categorically that it wants to make a reasonable claim to the progressive leadership in multiracial Malaysia. The outcome of this PAS polls should pose a serious challenge to Umno reinvent itself or otherwise face the prospect of declining fortunes in national politics in the normal course of democratic traditions.

PAS, it appears, has seen the writing on the wall in respect to the untenability of Umno's preoccupation with yesteryear values.

Loyal Malaysian: Yes, I certainly hope as Bridget Welsh's analysis says, the results bodes well for Pakatan. For there to be any realistic chance that the Umnoputras be booted out of Putrajaya, the electorate in the Malay heartlands must come on board the ship of change.

PAS delegates vote for stronger ties with Pakatan

Jiminy Qrikert: Whatever the case, this result does mean that Pakatan now has a wider and stronger base of potential leaders should the worst happen to DSAI (Anwar Ibrahim). A 'welfare state' is certainly more acceptable to the general public and rakyat at large compromising non-Malays and a massive number of 'moderate Malays' and enlightened Muslims.

There was a time that non-Malays feared PAS. But now, non-Malays not only do not fear PAS but are willing to vote for PAS candidates. So, while non-Malays rejoice over the result of the PAS elections, Umno-BN must surely be shivering in their pants.

A good 80 percent of the Chinese will readily spit at MCA and curse Umno. An increasing number of Malays are rejecting Umno. Indians in the urban centres are rejecting all the mosquito Indian parties and even Hindraf/HRP with their exclusive Indian agenda. Instead Indians are throwing their lot in with PKR, DAP and even PAS.

All Umno can depend on now are the less fortunate, less educated and misled Malays in the certain urban and rural areas. And BN needs to also buy the votes of the rural and other urban Indians.

Blogsmith: Not so fast. The general sentiment is that Mat Sabu was voted in because the PAS grassroots want closer ties with Pakatan and non-Muslim, and this is what I want to be true.

The fact is Mat Sabu won mainly because of split voting and the combined votes of the ulama factions far outweight what Mat Sabu got. - Malaysiakini