PAS wants its “Ummah Unity” agenda to be expanded to reach non-Muslim voters, rather than remain a political narrative rolled out mainly during elections.
PAS Central Ulama Council chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya said Rabbani scholars must play a greater role in building confidence among non-Muslims towards the agenda and correcting the perception that it primarily serves Malay interests.
He said the perception needed to change as the agenda was, in principle, about fostering broader unity and harmony within Malaysia’s multiracial society.
“Unfortunately, some parties view Ummah Unity as being limited to Malays, thereby sidelining non-Muslims.
“In reality, Ummah Unity is unity for everyone. Where its foundation takes root, there its branches will come together,” he said during the opening ceremony of the 65th PAS Central Ulama Council Annual Muktamar, officiated by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang here on Thursday.
Ahmad said one of the main challenges was building trust among non-Muslims, particularly when they were exposed to what he described as racial political narratives being pushed by certain quarters.
He said the message behind the agenda needed to be delivered in a more structured and consistent manner so that non-Muslims would understand that it was not merely a strategy to secure political support during elections.
At the same time, Ahmad said the Ummah Unity agenda should not end after elections, but instead become a continuous effort to restore Muslim unity and strengthen the political influence of Muslims in Malaysia.
He said the outcome of the Negeri Sembilan state election showed that political cooperation based on the concept of ta’awun siyasi could influence voting patterns.
“Although the cooperation in the Negeri Sembilan state election was in the form of loose ta’awun siyasi and did not bind either party, at least it had a significant impact on voting patterns in the election,” he said.
Ahmad said the development demonstrated that the Ummah Unity agenda had room to be developed into a broader political and social movement, rather than remaining an arrangement that only emerges during elections.
He added that the effort needed to be supported by stronger religious education, organisational structures and political machinery to ensure the agenda could be implemented in a systematic and sustainable manner.
“Rabbani scholars have an important role in ensuring that the message and aspirations of Ummah Unity are understood by society, particularly Muslims, while also building the confidence of non-Muslims in the unity agenda being promoted,” he said.
