In Terengganu Islamists stage provocative parade with fake swords and spears
Yesterday’s march was organised by the youth wing of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), which lost in last November’s election. Reacting to the event, Islamic Affairs minister urges Muslims not to get involved in divisive activities. Muslims constitute 63.5 per cent of Malaysia’s population while ethnic Malays are 51 per cent.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – The youth wing of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), an Islamist and Malay-centric political party, staged a march in Setiu Terengganu, in Terengganu, a state in peninsular Malaysia, leaving many Malaysians bewildered.
Their heads covered in a green cone, PAS members wore medieval Islamic war costumes, carrying fake shields, spears, and swords. A pickup truck was also seen with a huge scimitar replica in the back.
Purportedly a show of support for militant Islam (symbolically embodied by green, the colour associated with PAS colour and Islam), the controversial march was part of a two-day gathering in the presence of the party leader, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
Known for his provocative statements against other religions and ethnic groups, Hadi has accused the latter of being the cause of corruption in the country.
The PAS, which lost in the country’s last elections in November 2022, has always emphasised the supremacy of Muslim Malays over other Malaysian ethnic and religious groups, this in a country where ethnic Malays make up 51 per cent of the population and Muslims are 63.5 per cent.
Constitutionally, ethnic Malays are guaranteed more rights than non-ethnic Malays, even more so if the latter are not Muslim.
Still, social harmony has been part of the election platform adopted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition, which won last year’s election,
The Minister responsible for Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, condemned yesterday’s event, calling on Muslims not to get involved in actions that encourage divisions and misunderstandings in the country.
In Malaysia, Islamist groups have not only tried to use the ethnic and religious card in their favour, but have also developed ties with foreign groups; this is PAS’s case, which has close historic ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Still, the march in Setiu Terengganu does not seem to have met with any significant support in public opinion. On the contrary, many on social media accuse PAS of stirring up memories of bad past events, of sending ambiguous messages, perhaps in support of the Islamic State group in Asia, without openly saying so.
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