In a multicultural nation like Malaysia, where diverse ethnic and religious groups coexist, political parties bear a profound responsibility to foster unity rather than division. Yet, the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), an Islamist opposition party, has repeatedly engaged in rhetoric and policies that marginalize non-Muslims, drawing uncomfortable parallels to Israel’s systemic oppression of Palestinians in the occupied territories.
This article argues that PAS must abandon such approaches to truly represent all Malaysians, highlighting how non-Muslims endure discrimination akin to the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli policies.
Non-Bumiputera face discrimination akin to Palestinian suffering, while exposing PAS’s hypocrisy and governance failures that harm all Malaysians, including the Malay majority.
The Recent Controversy: PAS’s Inflammatory Analogy
Recently, PAS deputy spiritual leader Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary sparked outrage by comparing non-Muslims in Malaysia to Jewish immigrants in pre-1948 Palestine, suggesting they dominate the economy and perpetuate “injustice” against the Malay majority. This analogy not only inverts reality but also exposes PAS’s tendency to scapegoat minorities for broader societal issues.
Critics argue that it is non-Malays who face systemic barriers, much like Palestinians under Israeli control, where access to resources, rights, and opportunities is heavily restricted. Far from being oppressors, non-Muslims contribute disproportionately to Malaysia’s economy—driving sectors like manufacturing, services, and SMEs—while paying the bulk of income taxes, yet they receive minimal benefits from government allocations.
This rhetoric from PAS echoes a pattern of exclusion. For instance, party leaders have used derogatory terms like “kafir” (infidel) to refer to non-Muslims, which senior figures later acknowledged could alienate voters. Such language fosters a divisive atmosphere, reminiscent of how Israeli policies label and restrict Palestinians, limiting their freedoms and portraying them as threats.
PAS’s Policies And Rhetoric Are A Key Reason Why Many Bumiputera Remain Poor
By blaming non-Bumiputera success for societal issues, PAS covers up its own mismanagement and governance failures in states like Kelantan and Terengganu, where poverty persists despite decades of control.
In truth, PAS’s policies and rhetoric are a key reason why many Bumiputera remain poor and unable to succeed, as resources are diverted to religious enforcement over economic development.
How can non-Bumiputera be likened to Israel when they are discriminated against and victimized like Palestinians? Their population is shrinking—from 37% in 2000 to around 30% today—due to emigration driven by inequality and lack of opportunities.
Projections show the Chinese community declining to under 15% by 2060, highlighting the exodus of non-Bumiputera talent.
Hypocrisy in PAS’s Policies and Actions
PAS’s track record reveals a pattern of double standards that undermines its moral posturing:
- Alcohol and Sin Taxes: PAS frequently criticizes alcohol consumption, as seen in their opposition to a brewery’s donation to a Chinese school charity event, deeming it un-Islamic despite its educational purpose. Yet, they conveniently ignore the substantial “sin tax” revenue from alcohol and tobacco that flows into the national treasury, which PAS-governed states benefit from without protest. This hypocrisy mirrors their selective moral outrage, targeting non-Bumiputera cultural practices while profiting from the same systems they condemn.
- Vernacular Education: PAS supporters have called for abolishing vernacular schools (SJKC and SJKT), which are protected under Article 152 of Malaysia’s Constitution. These schools preserve the cultural and linguistic rights of non-Bumiputera communities. Shockingly, many PAS leaders, including president Abdul Hadi Awang, send their children and grandchildren to these very SJKCs, benefiting from the quality education they publicly oppose. This duplicity exposes their political opportunism, undermining constitutional protections for minority education.
- Flag Controversies: PAS has politicized incidents like Chinese tourists raising China’s flag during festivals, framing it as a threat to national sovereignty. Yet, in their own governed states like Kelantan, PAS leaders have faced no backlash for raising Israel’s flag during protests, despite their vocal criticism of Israel’s actions. This selective outrage highlights their inconsistent standards, targeting non-Bumiputera expressions of identity while excusing similar acts aligned with their agenda.
- Land Ownership and Foreign Sales: PAS often laments the low percentage of Malay land and property ownership, blaming non-Bumiputera for economic disparities. However, in states they govern, such as Kelantan and Terengganu, PAS has overseen land sales to Chinese investors, prioritizing foreign capital over local Malay interests. This contradicts their rhetoric and exacerbates the very issues they claim to address, mirroring Israel’s land appropriation policies that displace Palestinians.
Bribery Accusations
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has claimed that the Chinese are the biggest bribe-givers in Malaysia, perpetuating a harmful stereotype against non-Bumiputera. Yet, he conveniently ignores that Malays, as the majority in public office, are often the biggest receivers of bribes.
Islamic teachings unequivocally condemn both giving and receiving bribes, but emphasize the greater sin of the receiver, who abuses authority and enables corruption.
The Quran states, “And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]” (Al-Baqarah 2:188).
A Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah reports the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying, “The curse of Allah is upon the one who offers a bribe and the one who takes it” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 13, Hadith 2313), with scholars like Imam Nawawi noting that the receiver’s sin is graver due to their position of power.
Islamic jurists, such as those from the Hanafi and Shafi’i schools, further argue that the bribe-taker’s betrayal of trust violates the principle of amanah (trustworthiness), a cornerstone of Islamic governance.
As an Islamic party, PAS should uphold these teachings, but Hadi’s selective accusations deflect blame onto non-Bumiputera while shielding Malay elites, undermining the very Islamic values of justice and accountability PAS claims to champion.
Systemic Marginalization of Non-Bumiputera
Non-Bumiputera, legally born citizens protected by Malaysia’s Constitution, have been integral to the nation’s progress since pre-independence. From building infrastructure to driving economic growth post-independence, they remain the highest taxpayers and economic contributors.
Yet, they receive the least help from the government, facing systemic discrimination akin to Palestinians under Israel’s policies. PAS must cease lying to its supporters about non-Bumiputera “dominance,” as the reality shows they are suffering and marginalized:
Income Disparities: Contrary to PAS’s claims, less than 25% of Chinese and Indians fall into the T20 (top 20% income) bracket; most are in the middle-income (M40) or lower (B40) groups. While Chinese are overrepresented in top incomes , the majority struggle in lower brackets, dispelling myths of universal wealth.
Lack of Representation in Key Institutions: Non-Bumiputera do not hold royal bloodlines or dominate important ministries in the Malaysian cabinet. They are severely underrepresented in the civil service (e.g., only 5.4% Chinese and 3.7% Indians), government-linked companies (GLCs), police, and armed forces (Chinese 0.5%, Indians 1.5% in military)
Education and Employment: Bumiputera quotas allocate 90% of public university spots to Malays, leaving non-Bumiputera with less than 18% despite comprising 30% of the population.op non-Bumiputera students lack equal opportunities, with scholarships heavily skewed toward Bumiputera, forcing many to rely on loans or private education.In employment, non-Bumiputera are underrepresented in civil service (less than 5% in senior roles) and security forces. This forces many to pursue costlier private education or emigrate, contributing to a brain drain of 1.86 million skilled professionals.
Historical and Ongoing Examples of PAS’s Discriminatory Stance
PAS’s track record reveals consistent efforts to impose Islamic norms that sidelline non-Muslims.
In states under its influence, like Kelantan and Terengganu, strict moral codes prioritize religious enforcement over economic development, leading to high poverty rates (12.4% in Kelantan and 8.6% in Terengganu) that disproportionately affect all residents, including minorities. The party has opposed interfaith initiatives, such as criticizing a brewery’s donation to a Chinese school charity event, viewing it as incompatible with Islamic values despite the event’s educational purpose. This highlights an ethnic divide, where non-Muslim cultural practices are scrutinized and suppressed.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has been accused of racist rhetoric, blaming non-Bumiputera (non-indigenous Malaysians, often non-Muslims) for being the “root” of corruption and societal ills. These actions mirror Israel’s apartheid system, where Palestinians face institutionalized discrimination, including segregated infrastructure, restricted movement, and unequal access to justice.
In Malaysia’s broader context, non-Muslims encounter barriers in education and employment. Bumiputera quotas allocate 90% of public university spots to the Malay majority, leaving non-Malays with less than 18% despite comprising 30% of the population. This forces many to pursue more challenging paths or emigrate, contributing to a brain drain of 1.86 million skilled professionals.
Government budgets heavily favor Bumiputera and Islamic programs—over RM43 billion cumulatively—while non-Muslim initiatives receive fractions, such as RM220 million for Indian communities.
Surveys indicate Malaysia ranks high in global racism indices, with non-Muslims facing economic discrimination and social marginalization.
PAS’s Governance Failures Harm All Malaysians
PAS’s focus on religious enforcement over development has led to dire outcomes in their four governed states—Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis. High poverty rates (12.4% in Kelantan, 8.6% in Terengganu) and lack of economic progress affect all residents, including the Malay Muslim majority. Crime and social issues, such as drug abuse and unemployment, are rampant, with Kelantan reporting a 20% increase in crime rates over the past decade. These failures parallel Israel’s neglect of Palestinian areas, where underinvestment perpetuates poverty and instability. Non-Bumiputera, despite their economic contributions, are doubly burdened, facing both systemic exclusion and the fallout of PAS’s mismanagement.
Parallels to Palestinian Suffering Under Israeli Policies
The suppression faced by non-Muslims in Malaysia under PAS-influenced policies bears striking similarities to the plight of Palestinians. International reports describe Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as apartheid, involving domination, segregation, and crimes against humanity. Palestinians endure restricted access to land, water, and movement, with settlements expanding on their territory—much like how non-Muslims in Malaysia are sidelined from key institutions, including the civil service (less than 5% senior roles) and security forces.
Recent UN findings accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, including acts like killing, causing serious harm, and imposing conditions leading to physical destruction. While Malaysia’s issues are not violent on that scale, the underlying intent to marginalize minorities for political gain is comparable.
To govern effectively in a multiracial Malaysia, PAS must align with Islamic principles of justice and equality, as in the Prophet Muhammad’s Charter of Medina, which protected non-Muslims. Neighboring Singapore offers a model: meritocracy has enabled its Malay minority to thrive with higher incomes and education levels than in Malaysia.
By ceasing suppression and rhetoric that echoes Israel’s oppressive tactics, PAS can contribute to a harmonious Malaysia. Failure to do so risks perpetuating cycles of alienation, economic stagnation, and instability—ultimately harming all citizens, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
