Anwar seeks PAS support to woo Malaysia's Muslim majority

Islamist party's backing key amid his govt's unpopular fuel policy, by-election battle

- Azril Annuar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is wooing the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) to boost his credentials among Malaysia's Malay majority as his 19-month-old government faces tough challenges.

They include an unpopular fuel policy and a July by-election battle that his party is expected to lose.

The ruling coalition could also lose its important two-thirds majority in Parliament by July, when the Speaker of the Lower House must decide whether to strip six pro-government MPs of their seats. This would make it all the more urgent to get the support of the Islamist party.

Malaysia's political circles went into a tizzy on June 22 when government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil, in reply to a question on whether PAS will join the unity government, claimed there had been "a lot of discussions" to bring PAS to the side of Datuk Seri Anwar's unity government.

But Mr Fahmi, who was speaking to reporters outside the Sungai Bakap by-election nomination centre in Penang, did not say in what form PAS might back the government.

He said there had been talks between Mr Anwar and the menteris besar of the four PAS-led states Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis and PAS lawmakers.

His claims were dismissed by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general Anthony Loke, who is Mr Anwar's close ally in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) three-party alliance.