Can PAS really change? Malaysia's Islamist party courts minorities with language

News analysis

- Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief

Long opposed to vernacular schools that teach in Mandarin and Tamil, Malaysia’s Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) has made a radical proposal in a bid to win over non-Muslims: teach those two languages widely in national public schools instead.

The suggestion by the Islamist opposition party’s deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was the most startling one yet at its annual congress — or muktamar — in 2025, where wooing non-Muslim voters has become a key theme.

But observers feel there is a long way to go before the party changes its ingrained attitude towards minorities.

Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim’s suggestion came during the opening of the annual convention of PAS’ non-Muslim Supporters Wing (DHPP) on Sept 13 in Sungai Petani, about 60km south of Kedah’s capital Alor Setar where the party’s main congress is being held until Sept 17.

Speaking to 78,000 members of the wing, he exhorted them to not just support, but also be champions of, the Islamist party’s efforts to debunk fears that its rise to power will curtail the freedoms of Malaysians who do not embrace Islam.

“Why do sensitivities arise between us? It is because of suspicion, because of different languages. Let children learn and understand each other,” he told reporters, after proposing that such a move would foster greater unity within Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society.

The former minister later told The Straits Times that the languages should be made more widely accessible nationally and that students should be encouraged to take them.

Mandarin and Tamil - and others such as Arabic - are currently available as subjects, but only if there are at least 15 students who wish to enrol in the class.

PAS and its Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition benefited from a groundswell of support from the majority Malay-Muslim base at the 2022 General Election.