Time for PAS to play more prominent national role, says Samsuri

 PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar says GE15 results are a sign that PAS can no longer play only a supporting role in the coalition.

PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said PAS should no longer be satisfied with being a village champion if it wants to take on a more dominant national role. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar says the time has come for PAS to take on a bigger national role, pointing to the party’s electoral strength and the changing political landscape.

Samsuri said the 2022 general election results showed PAS emerging as the dominant force in Parliament, surpassing all other parties in terms of the number of seats won with 43.

“PAS is bigger than DAP, which has remained largely static. PAS’s evolution has been steady compared with other parties, and this is the first time that PAS is holding the largest number of parliamentary seats,” he said in the Lebih Masa podcast hosted by PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

The PAS vice-president said this parliamentary composition signalled that the Islamic party should no longer play a secondary role in PN, having played second fiddle to Bersatu since the coalition’s founding.

“The time has arrived for us to play a more prominent role. Whatever that role may be, it must be a prominent role in the formation of (the government).

“Previously, perhaps we were in a supporting role, working together and strengthening one another. But now we can see that PAS has the largest composition of MPs and assemblymen,” he said

Asked how PAS intends to convince demographics that remain sceptical – including non-Muslims, voters in Sabah and Sarawak, and segments of the Malay community – Samsuri said the party must reflect on this and adapt its approach.

“I believe we have moved into the next phase of engaging with a multiracial society in our country, including the communities in Sabah and Sarawak.”

Samsuri, the Terengganu menteri besar, said that PAS must be more open and visible if it wanted to succeed at higher levels.

He said the Islamic party could no longer be satisfied with being just a “jaguh kampung” or village champion if it wanted to play a more dominant national role.

“If you want to be a real champion, you need to come out in the open. You cannot just compete in your own village. If you want to compete at the state, federal or international level, you have to face the reality (of Malaysia’s plural society).

“Of course, we have plans and clear strategies on how to engage with a very complex, multiracial society. That is the true nature of our country. We cannot escape it.”

Samsuri was appointed PN chairman on Sunday after a nearly two-month impasse over the post following the resignation of Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin which took effect on Jan 1.

There was speculation that PN’s non-Malay components – Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party – were opposed to PAS holding the coalition chairmanship, but Samsuri was unanimously appointed to the post by the PN presidential council and Supreme Council. - FMT