AS Malaysia prepares to celebrate Independence Day on August 31, a recent campaign by PAS’ Youth wing has sparked controversy.
The campaign encourages citizens to display both the Jalur Gemilang and the PAS flag at their homes and premises.
In a Facebook post, Pemuda PAS Malaysia shared a poster promoting the initiative, stating that flying the PAS flag alongside the national flag would “ignite the spirit of patriotism and love for the country.”
“In conjunction with this Independence month, all PAS youth are urged to fly the Malaysian flag and the PAS flag at their respective premises and homes,” it wrote.
“This is to further ignite the spirit of patriotism and love for the country within us.
“Additionally, it allows us to express our love for the genuine struggle alongside PAS to build a better Malaysia.
“As Buya Hamka said, ‘Honesty and the courage to uphold the truth are the essence of a free soul. Meanwhile, lies or hypocrisy are signs of a slave’s soul’,” it stated.
“Drawing inspiration from the spirit of independence figures, let us proudly fly the national and beloved party flags with strength and pride!”
However, the campaign has drawn widespread criticism from Malaysians, who view it as divisive.
One user on X (formerly Twitter), @tjerealjoker, commented, “There has never been a political party that made Independence Day a political campaign.
This is the narrow-minded politics of PAS.
“Everything is politicised.
“Everything they do is intended to divide society.”
One user called roku wrote: “These people aren’t about uniting Malaysians; they’re more about exploiting Independence Day. PAS’ struggle has shifted towards personal interests for their own political survival.”
Hashimzulkifli commented: “Now they want it to be raised alongside the Jalur Gemilang. “These people are getting crazier.”
