SHAH ALAM: PAS is gaining popularity among young Malay Muslim voters and is seeking to increase support from non-Muslims, according to its president, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
He stated that the party has witnessed a surge in support from younger voters since the 15th General Election and state elections.
Abdul Hadi Awang remarked, “What is interesting is that we are gaining more support from youth who consume information from social media.”
“Additionally, we have noticed a shift in voting patterns, particularly among the youth. Therefore, we must pay attention to this phenomenon,” he added.
He further highlighted the lack of interest in politics among Malays and stressed the importance of raising awareness among them, while acknowledging that non-Malays are more likely to participate in voting.
“This poses a danger to the Malays, and we need to address this issue,” he stated during a press conference after launching the 69th PAS muktamar at IDCC Centre Shah Alam on Friday (Oct 20).
In terms of attracting non-Malay voters, Abdul Hadi accepted that the party’s narrative has not effectively reached this targeted group, primarily due to limited exposure on social media platforms.
He stated, “Our information and narrative could not reach the non-Malay community, as it was impeded by negative propaganda aimed at portraying Islam in a negative light, not only by the DAP at the national level but also by other external sources.”
The party president also revealed that PAS had previously organized dialogue sessions with non-Malays at hotels, but these events were obstructed by certain ruling parties at the time.
He cited PAS’s long-standing rule in the Kelantan government for almost 30 years and pointed out that non-Malay voters have accepted their governance in places like Terengganu and Kedah.
Regarding the Palestinian cause, Hadi expressed his disappointment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s perceived lack of strong support for Hamas.
He argued that Anwar did not openly voice support for the Palestinian group in their fight against the Israeli regime.
“He is not vocal in his support; he did not dare voice his support for Hamas,” Hadi Awang added.
