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.