COMMENT | PAS sorely lacking in political wisdom

COMMENT | The recent PAS muktamar saw the Pahang PAS deputy commissioner remarking: “If voters in Pahang – home to Genting’s casino – want gambling to end, they should choose the Islamic party”.

As expected, the international media such as Bloomberg immediately seized on the opportunity to hype up such a juicy statement.

Historically, it is not the first time PAS has made such a startling promise. In the past, there were at least some other leaders from the party who declared they were prepared to shut down Malaysia’s only casino if it won the state government.

Being an Islamic party, it is hardly surprising that it is tapping into the concerns of the country’s Muslim majority over gambling, which is forbidden in the Quran.

Another PAS leader, Andansura Rabu, was quoted to have said, “Anything that can harm society, we must together support its destruction.”

“This isn’t a matter of religion, it’s a...