PAS may be playing 5-10-year game to win over voters, says Shahril

 The former Umno information chief says PAS may be willing to play second fiddle for now while gradually convincing Malaysians it is ready to govern.

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said PAS was using the opportunity to give its leaders more experience and make civil servants and voters more familiar with the party in government.

PETALING JAYA:

PAS may be prepared to wait another five to 10 years before making a serious push for the country’s top leadership, says former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.

PAS and Umno recently negotiated cooperation ahead of the Melaka state election, with the Islamic party indicating it is open to contesting under the Barisan Nasional logo.

PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin last week said achieving a PAS-Umno alliance in the Melaka polls would be a key step to expanding it to the 16th general election, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Speaking on the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Shahril said PAS and Umno appeared to be working on different timelines, with Umno more focussed on winning power now while PAS seemed more willing to wait.

He said PAS could be prepared to enter government without immediately demanding the top job, using the opportunity to give its leaders more experience and make civil servants and voters more familiar with the party.

“(PAS wants to) get the public used to seeing it in government,” he said.

Shahril said PAS – which was aware that some voters still viewed it as “too extreme”, lacking in expertise, and without enough technocrats capable of handling senior ministries – could spend several terms gradually changing that perception.

“I think they believe a transition is happening, and that transition may take another five to 10 years.”

He said he was already seeing signs of such a shift in conversations with Malay professionals, who had traditionally regarded Umno as the more moderate Malay party but were increasingly seeing PAS as a viable choice at the ballot box.

Co-host and Muda deputy president Zaidel Baharuddin, however, questioned why PAS had not pushed one of its leaders more prominently as a prime ministerial candidate, and why Wawasan president Hamzah Zainudin had been allowed to retain such a prominent role, including as opposition leader. - FMT