MUDA Harapan has reminded PAS that the reform agenda now being criticised by the party was once fully supported by PAS itself during earlier phases of political cooperation. The youth coalition said reforms rooted in good governance and social justice were not foreign ideas but principles that PAS had previously endorsed when it was part of opposition alliances pushing for systemic change.
MUDA Harapan leader Woo Kah Leong said the reform movement championed by Pakatan Harapan was built on universal values that transcend religion, race, and nationality. According to him, these principles were central to PAS’s own political narrative during the Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat eras, making current objections appear inconsistent.
Woo criticised recent remarks by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who suggested that reforms under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were influenced by Western ideologies associated with secularism. Woo argued that framing reform initiatives as foreign or anti-religious distorted their true purpose and ignored Malaysia’s constitutional and social realities.
He said that equating secular governance with hostility towards religion reflected a misunderstanding of the concept, pointing out that secularism does not prevent individuals from practising their faith. In Malaysia’s context, he added, the system has long accommodated religious diversity while allowing citizens to live according to their beliefs without state overreach.
Woo further noted that Malaysia’s plural society had historically thrived on mutual respect, but warned that personal freedoms were becoming increasingly constrained in states governed by PAS. He cited social issues, including rising drug abuse in certain regions, as challenges that should be addressed through effective governance rather than moral posturing.
According to Woo, Malaysians of different religious backgrounds broadly support reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness, without feeling that their faith is being undermined. He stressed that citizens expect their lifestyles and choices to be respected, free from excessive intervention justified in the name of religious authority.
He also questioned PAS’s sincerity in courting non-Muslim support, recalling recent efforts by the party to broaden its appeal while senior leaders continued to issue statements that appeared exclusionary. In his view, such contradictions risk alienating communities that value inclusivity and moderation.
Woo said that if PAS rejects reform at the federal level, it should demonstrate better governance in the four states currently under Perikatan Nasional administration. He argued that public expectations are shaped by performance, and reforms should be judged by their outcomes rather than dismissed through ideological labels.
MUDA Harapan concluded that Malaysia’s nation-building process depends on upholding diversity, good governance, and social justice, values that have long been shared across political divides and should not be abandoned for short-term political advantage.
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