FT PAS to set up technocrat groups to realise policies for Wilayah Sejahtera vision

Federal Territories PAS will establish 11 task forces comprising professionals, technocrats, and activists with relevant expertise to develop policies for its Wilayah Sejahtera vision.

Its commissioner, Azhar Yahya, touted the move as a showcase of the many professionals among the party’s ranks, despite the perception that PAS is dominated by religious scholars and lacks knowledge of worldly affairs.

"People say we only have religious scholars. No. We have many technocrats, and those technocrats will now be highlighted in these task forces.

"They - not me as a religious figure - will be the ones developing the detailed policies," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying at the Federal Territories PAS convention in Kuala Lumpur today.

Azhar said the convention was part of PAS' preparations to ensure all its Federal Territories divisions understood the Wilayah Sejahtera vision ahead of their job to bring discussions down to the grassroots level.

"We are waiting for the war whistle to be blown, the war drums to be beaten.

"When that happens, we will begin offering a manifesto built from the ground up, from the branches and divisions," he said.

Fifteen speakers presented their arguments at the convention, which was themed "Kembali kepada Penyelesaian Islam" (Return to Islamic Solutions).

From these, 12 resolutions were put forward for the Federal Territories to address affordable housing, public transport, traffic, the cost of living, local businesses, cleanliness, environmental sustainability, urban safety, digital government services, Islamic affairs, social harmony, education, human capital, land, strategic infrastructure, DBKL reforms and governance, as well as Labuan’s water crisis.

Scrutinising people’s issues

NST further reported deputy commissioner II and ISPS head Ahmad Nadzri Mansor as saying that proposals were based on input from 15 divisions and councils, as well as feedback from an 80,000-engagement social media survey.

"All the people's issues are already in our hands. We have feedback from the public, and from that we put forward the resolutions," he said.

According to Berita Harian, Azhar said the unveiling of the manifesto will also follow once research by professionals under the Federal Territories PAS Strategic Studies Institute (IPSP) was completed.

"We want to reflect the seriousness of Federal Territories PAS in strengthening our offer to the people and formulating a more organised, realistic, and community well-being-oriented agenda," he added.

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