PAS wants to conquer Putrajaya but where’s the report card from four states under its rule?

 

PAS has declared that it is ready to claim the Prime Minister’s (PM) post and lead the Federal government after the 16th General Election (GE16).

PAS vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah previously announced a target of 80 parliamentary seats while its delegates now insist that PAS should lead rather than remain a follower.

Being ambitious is easy. Governing Malaysia requires proven competence, credible policies and measurable results – not merely political speeches, religious rhetoric and election slogans.

PAS has governed Kelantan continuously since 1990 or approximately for 36 years. The Islamist party has governed Terengganu from 1999 to 2004 and again since 2018; Kedah from 2008 to 2013 and again since 2020; and Perlis since 2022.

What do the official figures show? According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM)2024 data, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis occupied the bottom three positions nationally for mean monthly household income: Kelantan at RM5,265, Kedah (RM5,793) and Perlis (RM5,996).

In 2025, GDP per capita in all four PAS-governed states remained far below Malaysia’s national figure of RM59,167: Kelantan at RM18,085, Perlis (RM25,089), Kedah (RM28,537) and Terengganu (RM32,657).

These are not political allegations. They are measurable economic indicators published by the DOSM.

Poor infrastructure, social woes

Basic infrastructure presents another troubling picture. Reported non-revenue water rates were approximately 54.5% in Kelantan, Kedah (50.7%) and Perlis (64.5%). This means enormous quantities of treated water were lost through leakage, ageing infrastructure and operational inefficiency before reaching paying consumers.

PAS also promotes its administration as a model of Islamic and moral governance. Yet the National Anti-Drugs Agency’s (AADK) latest complete figures for 2025 placed these same four states at the top of Malaysia’s drug-abuse ranking: Kelantan (1,105 drug abusers and addicts per 100,000 residents), Terengganu- (997), Perlis (970) and Kedah (965).

AADK acknowledged that geography and proximity to international borders make illegal drugs easier to supply. That is a contributing factor but it cannot become a permanent excuse.

Governments must respond through enforcement cooperation, education, youth development, employment as well as early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation.

Elsewhere, the sexual offence figures also demand answers. Kelantan recorded 252 rape and incest reports in 2024, reportedly an increase of 22.3% from 206 in 2023.

Police also investigated 1,465 rape cases in Kedah between 2015 and 2025 – the fourth-highest state – although this longer period does not fall entirely under the present PAS administration.

Across Malaysia, 17,609 rape cases were investigated during that period but only 7,090 resulted in charges.

These facts must not be misrepresented. The official general crime index does not show that every PAS-governed state has Malaysia’s highest overall crime rate.

Policing is also principally a federal responsibility. But state governments exercise considerable influence over education, welfare, local administration, economic opportunities, community programmes and social intervention.

Disclose economic outcome

PAS cannot constantly preach morality, regulate personal behaviour and claim religious superiority while drug addiction, incest, sexual offences and inadequate protection for vulnerable children remain serious problems within the society it governs.

This is not an attack on Islam. Islam cannot be blamed for the administrative failures of politicians who use its name. Religious branding must never become a shield against legitimate scrutiny of govt performance.

There is also the question of PAS’s international influence. Tan Sri Hadi Awang served as Malaysia’s special envoy to the Middle East with ministerial status during the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) administrations (between April 2020 to November 2022).

He submitted an executive report mentioning potential cooperation in investment, trade, education and religion. PAS should now disclose the measurable results of that appointment.

How much Middle Eastern investment did Hadi secure? Which projects were completed? How many permanent jobs were created? How much revenue was generated and how did Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis benefit from his access and claimed influence in the Islamic world?

PAS later appointed twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the unofficial economic adviser to its four states. SG4 Group Sdn Bhd was formally launched in September 2024 with each state holding an equal 25% stake.

Grand plans were announced covering foreign investment, infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, industry, human capital development and rare-earth resources. But where is SG4’s comprehensive and audited progress report?

PAS President Tan Sri Hadi Awang (middle) with twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left)

PAS and the four state governments should disclose:

• The capital contributed by each state.
• SG4’s expenditure, directors and management costs.
• Every investment agreement signed.
• The identities of the investors and beneficial owners.
• The value of investment actually received-not merely proposed.
• The projects that have commenced commercial operations.
• The revenue generated for each state.
• The number and quality of permanent jobs created.
• The status of the proposed rare-earth ventures.
• The specific contribution made by Dr Mahathir as adviser.

‘Religious sermons aren’t economic policies’

If these measurable results cannot be published, the rakyat are entitled to ask whether Hadi’s Middle East appointment and the SG4-Dr Mahathir initiative produced genuine economic development or merely another series of announcements, ceremonies and political publicity.

In all fairness, not every weakness in these four states can be blamed entirely on PAS. Geography, historical underinvestment, federal-state relations and differences in natural resources must be considered.

But PAS cannot demand credit for everything positive while blaming the Federal government for every failure.

Before demanding Putrajaya, PAS must present credible national policies for economic growth, investment, employment, education, healthcare, water infrastructure, drug rehabilitation, child protection and Malaysia’s multi-racial and multi-religious future.

Religious sermons are not economic policies. Political slogans are not development programmes. Announcements are not investments while electoral victories are not proof of administrative competence.

PAS wants to govern approximately 34 million Malaysians. To do so, it must first, show the rakyat the complete, independently verifiable report card from Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis – it’s so-called model states.

Governance advocate and political commentator, Datuk Dr Sivasampoh Kannikuddy is also a group CEO/executive with a background spanning finance, banking and strategic management, including leadership roles with MyOwn Inc.Politics

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.