KUALA LUMPUR: Despite pressing calls for PAS to make its non-Muslim PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP) a full-fledged wing, congress chairman Hu Pang Chow believes the Islamist party still is not ready for the move.
In an interview with The Star Online, Hu said it was still early for the party to do so as the congress was set up just three years ago.
"Meanwhile, PAS was formed in 1951 on a basis that all its members must be Muslims. This was the first time that it had opened its doors to non-Muslims, which is already a big move," he said.
Hu, who leads the congress which consists of more than 20,000 members nationwide, said PAS was still adapting to a different culture brought by the congress members.
"Muslims have these things called haram and halal, what they can't eat or drink. For the non-Muslims, there's no such thing as that. So it takes time to adapt to this new culture," he said.
DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had recently said that the Islamist party should allow non-Muslims to become full-fledged party members, where they will have the right to vote in party elections.
He said the party should show its sincerity by opening its doors to the DHPP as full-fledged members, as such a move will bring PAS into the fold of multiracial political parties in the country.
"But we can't expect change to happen in three years. I think it is already a huge achievement for the Islamist party to have the support of the non-Muslims. This is something even Umno can't do," Hu said.
Hu was one of the non-Muslim candidates fielded by PAS in the May 5 general election in Ayer Hitam parliamentary constituency, a first time in the party's history. However, he lost to the incumbent from Barisan Nasional, Datuk Wee Ka Siong, by a 7,310-vote majority.
Hu called it a "bold decision" to bring non-Muslims onboard as support from them has been on the rise since 2008.
"It (the strategy) works and I think now Umno is worried why the non-Muslims and non-Malays can support PAS but not Umno, although both parties were set up for Malays and Muslims," he said.
Hu, a 58-year-old former teacher who was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, has spent almost 40 years in Kelantan teaching in a Chinese primary school.
In an hour-long interview, Hu also talked about his attempts to bring back the Malay support to the Opposition by zooming in the Malay heartland of Johor.
How is your life now, after the general election?
Remains normal. For me, whether you win or lose, it is all part of your life. If you win, that means you have to bear a new responsibility. If you lose, you need to find out what your weaknesses are. There are no regrets.
Do you have any programmes lined up for the non-Muslim supporters congress?
As of now, I am busy with Johor PAS. Soon, we will have a fundraising dinner organised by Johor PAS Youth and we aim to raise about RM100,000 to run three programmes that will be carried out within three years. The first programme is recreation and welfare, the second programme is training and courses, and the third programme is about economy.
Why Johor?
Johor is an Umno stronghold. The problem is now, PAS and Pakatan Rakyat are not well organised in Johor and the way they mobilise information to the public is not working.
In Chinese, there’s a proverb that says, '100 times you go to war, 100 times you have to win'. That means, in order for you to win a war, you have to know your strengths and the weaknesses and you must know yourself. If your rival is so strong, find out what their weaknesses are.
Therefore, I am bringing this concept to Pas. This a war strategy on how to win the general election and how to convince the Malay community. If these programmes I mentioned to you just now manage to take off, we are looking to implement it from 2014 until 2016.
We will get all the PAS division members to mobilise 2,000 Malay Johoreans, regardless their political preference, to DAP-led Penang within these three-year programmes. The activities will include a face-to-face meeting with the Penang Islamic Council to be briefed on what the council has been doing for the Muslims in Penang since DAP took over the state.
Secondly, we will bring them to the state mosque in Penang to prove to them there is no ban on azan (the call to prayers) as claimed by many quarters.
Thirdly, we will arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister and the participants will get to ask him questions, such as how the Penang government is upholding Islam in the state and how they are helping and preserving the rights of the Malay community.
After three years, if the result is positive, these 2,000 Malays from Johor will become our campaign materials for future general elections.
