PAS urges voters to follow Spain

PAS urges voters to follow Spain

MALAYSIA: The head of Malaysia's fundamentalist Islamic Party
(PAS) Tuesday called on voters to follow the lead of the Spanish
electorate and topple the government in upcoming polls.

"If Spanish voters can change their government, why can't we?
God willing we will form the next government," PAS president
Abdul Hadi Awang told cheering supporters, who punched their
fists into the air and cried "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).

The Spanish people threw out their conservative government
because it supported the United States-led war on Iraq and had
contributed ground troops to the conflict, Abdul Hadi said while
campaigning in the capital Kuala Lumpur ahead of March 21
elections.

Socialists swept to power on Sunday against the pro-U.S.
administration in Spain's general elections, which were
overshadowed by terrorist train bombings in Madrid that killed at
least 200 people.

Abdul Hadi said there were many reasons to topple the
governing National Front, which has been in power in Malaysia
since 1957, but voters were afraid of change.

Some 10.3 million Malaysians head for the polls on Sunday,
with the role of Islam in government a major issue and PAS
presenting the biggest challenge to the ruling party. -- AFP