COMMENT | PAS’ centre stage at 69th muktamar

COMMENT | PAS heads to its 69th muktamar at the height of its political power in history. Leading four state governments, with nearly a fifth of the Parliament’s seats (and the largest number at 42), and an unprecedented total of 150 state seats across 11 out of 13 states, PAS is arguably the strongest single party in the country.

With its gains in power, the Islamist party has moved from the ‘extremist’ right to become the centre, or rather, as I suggest below, the centre has moved to them. Its electoral gains over the past year show that PAS has increasingly become a more attractive choice for voters.

At the same time, PAS gaining popularity has resulted in significant changes in how the party operates. Ironically, as PAS has replaced Umno for many voters, it has become more like Umno...