As PAS grows increasingly dominant within Perikatan Nasional (PN), questions arise about whether the party is prepared to nominate its own prime ministerial candidate and lead the government in the next general election.
Newly elected PAS central working committee member Shahidan Kassim said the party is no longer what it used to be, and is now capable of governing.
“In GE14, PAS only had 18 parliamentary seats. Now, we hold 43 seats, showing increased public support. This proves PAS MPs are on par with others and can even lead the government,” he said in an interview with Berita Harian.
On the question of a prime ministerial candidate, Shahidan said the decision must be made collectively by PN’s leadership to avoid division. He cited the words of Islam’s first caliph Abu Bakar: “If I walk in the path of Allah, support me. If I stray, oppose me.”
He dismissed claims that PAS lacks leaders with nationwide appeal, saying the party has “four lorries worth of candidates” but will only reveal names when the time is right. He noted that PAS, with 900,000 members, secured over two million votes in GE15, including from non-Malay voters.
Regarding cooperation with non-Malay parties, Shahidan said differences can be resolved through dialogue, stressing that PAS remains open to alliances. He reiterated that PAS’s ideology, while rooted in Islam, embraces universal values of justice, education and welfare.
“PAS is for all. We don’t just talk about halal and haram. We champion equal education, economic growth and social care. Education is key to lifting all communities out of poverty,” he said.
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