Malaysia’s main Islamic opposition party would only field candidates who did not smoke, or were willing to stop, for the upcoming general elections, its leader said. Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the spiritual leader of the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) - commonly known as PAS - said smoking was un-Islamic and people who smoked did not fully understand Islam, state Bernama news agency reported late on Thursday. “Some Muslims consider smoking haraam (forbidden),” the elderly religious leader said. “I prefer to choose candidates who do not smoke. By now they should understand the party’s requirements that to contest in the election, they must have the characteristics of a true Islamic leader,” he said.
PAS-endorsed candidates must also be teetotal non-gamblers, he said. The party, which controls only one state in the northern heartland of Kelantan, has been trying to revamp its image after being trounced in the 2004 general elections. The loss was seen as a vote against the fundamentalist partyÂ’s conservative policies, which aim to turn Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule.
PAS has also tried to capture support among MalaysiaÂ’s Chinese and Indian communities and urban youth. Malaysia must hold polls by early 2009, but an election is expected to be called before then. Analysts said PAS would struggle to gain votes as its policies had not changed, including its aim to create an Islamic state in Malaysia. |