Sadly, such words laden with venom set the tone of the party, so it’s not surprising that PAS youths aspire to be an Islamic “army”. Perhaps to politically crush their opponents, first in the coming state elections, and next, a victorious capture of Putrajaya itself.

After all, Himpit is a Malay word that means “to press”, implying the slow strangulation of enemies.

Other warning signs have appeared. During the last general election, PAS campaigners had ridden on horseback in Penang, bearing flags with the syahadah (declaration of faith) that drew a comparison with the Taliban.  

After the election resulted in a hung Parliament, several TikTok videos went around within 48 hours, warning of possible May 13 race riots if DAP joined any new government. Was it a coincidence that the videos also called for Perikatan Nasional (PN) to rule the country?

Worryingly, the seeds of hatred planted by these videos found fertile ground with several hundred thousand views. Even if PAS cannot be proven to be directly involved in making or funding these videos, the vitriolic tone set by its leaders fostered the growth of racial and religious hostility.

In this “holy battle” mindset, it’s perfectly understandable why a PAS Youth leader in Kedah warned that voters who chose BN and Pakatan Harapan will be condemned to hell.

Religion of peace

Fortunately, more compassionate voices have spoken out. De facto Religious Affairs Minister, Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said that marching while bearing replica weapons was unwise.

“It can give a bad image to Islam and the country. It would be better for the organisers to highlight the good values of Islam which is peaceful, and promotes unity and wellbeing,” he said.

He added that everyone should play a role in fostering harmony and that any actions that cause public unrest should be avoided entirely.

Former Bersatu (now PKR) political strategist Rais Hussin also wrote recently that the Himpit march was against the spirit of Islam, which is against arrogance and boorish behaviour.

I myself used to hope that PAS, as a party based on religious principles, would help cleanse this country of corruption and abuse. This was back in the days when spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat was a kinder, more reasonable voice in the party.

PAS was then part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition and had few problems working with DAP, unlike the “allergy” that Hadi now has. These were the days when non-Malays were happy to carry PAS flags in election campaigns.

I also remember how the party’s Unit Amal volunteers were so well-organised during the earlier Bersih rallies and helped out all protestors (regardless of race) when the tear gas swamped us. Those were more hopeful days when it seemed PAS could help forge multiracial reform towards a better, fairer nation.

Their slogan then declared “PAS for all”, based on the teaching of “rahmatan lil alamin” - “Islam is meant to bless everyone’s lives”.

Sadly, after the death of Nik Aziz in 2015, the party took a decidedly unfriendly turn, condemning even its own progressive leaders such as Mohamad Sabu and Khalid Samad as “Anwarista” traitors and “jebon” (mongoose). They then all left en masse to form Amanah.

The party seems to have gone back in time to the 1980s when Hadi preached his infamous “kafir mengkafir” doctrine where Umno Malays were declared as infidels. This led to kampungs being split as PAS followers would refuse to pray in mosques under Umno-linked imams. They also boycotted kenduri or feasts by Umno folks, claiming that the food may not be halal.

Such polemics are now applied against non-Muslims and imaginary “enemies” of Islam. All thanks to leaders who can’t govern well but fan the flames of religious battles to gain political support.