Summary

  • Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim says PAS has the ability to take Malaysia to greater heights if it combines its moral clarity with good governance and inclusivity.

  • He also points to Iran and how its clerical leadership managed to steer the country through various challenges over the years.

  • Zaid adds that PAS leaders are generally corruption-free, putting them in good standing to eradicate graft.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim said PAS could take Malaysia to greater heights, provided it combines its moral clarity with good governance and inclusivity.

He also chided PAS’ critics for belittling the party’s potential.

“History has shown us that clerical leadership can steer nations through immense adversity. Just look at Iran.

“Guided by its Council of Guardians - religious scholars with deep ideological conviction - Iran not only survived but asserted its independence despite decades of war and crippling sanctions from global superpowers,” he said on Facebook yesterday.

PAS, a member of the Perikatan Nasional coalition, holds the most number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat, at 43.

It also leads the state governments in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Not of same calibre

However, Zaid conceded that the clerics in PAS may not be the same calibre as those from Iran.

For starters, he said PAS’ main weakness was its inability to articulate the party’s national vision.

Regardless, Zaid said PAS has numerous advantages, such as great organisational discipline and the ability to connect with large segments of the Malaysian grassroots.

Zaid added that PAS has another advantage that other parties don’t – its leaders are generally free from corruption scandals.

“Their leaders are generally free of financial scandals, which puts them in good standing to eradicate a corrupt system.

“With the right leadership and vision, PAS could take Malaysia to heights we have yet to reach,” he said.

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