PAS to appoint Muslim Chinese to woo voters

PAS to appoint Muslim Chinese to woo voters

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia
(PAS) will soon make a rare appointment of a Malaysian Muslim
Chinese to the party's executive body, an official said on
Monday.

The Star newspaper quoted Fadzil Noor, president of the PAS,
the country's largest opposition party, as saying the appointment
was aimed at better understanding the "sensitivities" of the
ethnic Chinese community and was expected this week.

PAS recently angered its allies in the opposition Alternative
Front coalition when it said it would close the Genting Highlands
gambling resort if it won Pahang state in the next general
election, due in 2004.

Leaders of the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP)
were particularly alarmed by the announcement.

PAS said this weekend they would only close the casino and not
Genting's hotel or amusement park.

Ethnic Chinese, most of whom are Buddhist, make up about 25
percent of Malaysia's population, with Malays and other Muslims
at 65 percent and ethnic Indians seven percent.

The PAS has banned gambling and some other forms of
entertainment and curtailed alcohol sales in the two Malay-
dominated northern states it controls. It says eventually it
wants to create an Islamic state.

Mahfuz Omar, the party's youth wing chief said that the
decision is a step towards fostering closer ties with non-
Muslims.

The party wishes to "understand the culture and needs of the
Chinese community", he said.

"This proves that PAS is a multi-racial party concerned with
the welfare of all races," Mahfuz said, adding that the candidate
is Chinese Muslim convert. Only Muslims qualify to be PAS
members.

Mahfuz said that the candidate, who is a party member, will be
announced by the end of the week, adding that it was the first
time a Chinese Muslim is appointed to the Central Working
Committee.

PAS is a key party in the opposition Alternative Front
alliance, along with the National Justice Party, headed by wife
of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, the Chinese dominated
Democratic Action Party and the smaller Malaysian People's Party.

Following Anwar's sacking and jailing, the apparent loss of
Malay support for the United Malays National Organization (UMNO),
the backbone of the ruling National Coalition, showed in the 1999
general elections where PAS more than tripled its parliamentary
seats to 27.

The National Front depended heavily on Chinese votes to retain
its two-thirds majority in 1999 general elections amid erosion of
traditional Malay support.

PAS managed to retain control of the northeastern state of
Kelantan and also won control of the neighboring oil rich
Terengganu state.

Fadzil, opposition leader and the PAS president, had told
reporters it is "not impossible" for the Alternative Front to win
the next elections which must be called by 2004.

Meanwhile, a leading Malaysian Chinese tycoon said on Monday
he hoped to end a rumbling row over media freedom by acquiring a
stake in two independent newspapers currently held by the
country's main Chinese political party.

Lim Guan Teik, 66, chairman of Muda Holdings Bhd. is leading a
consortium to recover a 72 percent stake in Nanyang Press from
the investment arm of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).

The takeover of Nanyang Press, which publishes Nanyang Siang
Pau and China Press, has not only split the MCA, the second-
biggest party in the ruling National Front coalition but also
sparked growing furor among Malaysia's Chinese community.

Numerous ethnic Chinese groups have protested against the
deal, saying they fear an erosion of press freedom.