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June 16, 2000 VOL. 29 NO. 23 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK
Hadi Awang onminorities and Islam Abdul Hadi Awang. A name many Malaysians revere, and many fear. As chief minister of conservative, resource-rich Trengganu state, Hadi has now fused his Islamic righteousness with real power. His supporters view his rise as just reward for a deeply pious man. His detractors see it as an alarming sign of religious radicalism infiltrating the political arena. Hadi himself seems oblivious to the strong sentiments he arouses in others. The 53-year-old deputy president of Pas -- and its chief ideologue -- chooses to live quietly in his rural home in Kampung Rusila (his second wife stays next door) rather than at the official residence in state capital Kuala Trengganu 20 minutes away by car. One recent Thursday, after he had led the final prayers of the day at the village mosque, Hadi sat down with Correspondent Santha Oorjitham amid fruit trees, rabbits and a talking mynah bird to discuss in Malay his vision for an Islamic but still multiracial Malaysia. Translated excerpts: Are Pas and UMNO trying to "out-Islam" each other? We do our program without caring what is done by UMNO. People have seen UMNO's program, and they want change. We have made changes in several areas and the changes have been received well by the people, including non-Muslims. [But] because Pas votes depend more on Muslims and UMNO also needs the Malay vote, of course there will be competition to gain influence among the Muslims. This must be driving a wedge between Malaysia's Muslims. We are not the source of the split. We have offered to have open dialogue with UMNO, but they are not ready. UMNO has become a party which is declining, daily becoming weaker because of old age. Pas is a party which is increasingly strong. Pas is attracting professionals and the young. The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won the November general elections with the help of non-Malay votes. Are you wooing non-Malays too? UMNO got the non-Malay vote by threatening and frightening the non-Malays. Before and during the general elections, they raised the May 13 incident [the 1969 race riots] and other issues to scare the non-Malays. We hope the steps taken in the areas won by Pas will give non-Malays a positive attitude toward the Barisan Alternatif [opposition coalition] in which Pas is a member. We accept the visits of non-Malay organizations and NGOs. We listen to their proposals and we weigh them, not because we are fishing for votes. Whether we win or lose, it's a responsibility. We cannot force them to vote [for us]. We hope this open attitude of ours will [help] them give Pas a chance to rule with the support of non-Malays in the whole country. We should look at history. May 13 did not happen in areas won by Pas but where UMNO had strong influence. This is proof that we are not racist. Democratic Action Party chairman Lim Kit Siang tells us that he and his party can convince non-Muslims they will still be able to practice their culture and religion in Pas-run states or even in a Pas-run Malaysia. But they remain unclear over whether Pas would implement a full-fledged Islamic state. We want to be given the chance to show the good of an Islamic state in the states ruled by Pas, as a model which can be seen by non-Muslims. Why can't non-Muslims accept an Islamic state? They can accept communism, liberalism, socialism. Minorities can live amid Muslims. In Malay kampungs there are Chinese and Indian shops which can open and progress. This is because Islam can give and take with all races. Our goal is to prove that Islam can be accepted by all races. How are you proving that in your own state, Trengganu? All liquor shops have been closed except eight left for the non-Muslims. Gambling outlets have been shut. When Chinese businessmen asked me for permission to open gambling outlets, I asked them if Buddha allowed it. They said no. That was the end of it. Our experience in Kelantan, when we closed them, was that we received praise from wives of non-Muslims -- their home environment improved. We do not allow any entertainment which ruins character. Karaoke does not fulfill the conditions so we have stopped it. We don't want free mixing [of men and women], drugs, etc. We only allow entertainment which is not against Islam. We allow sports, for example football. And the national police have just held a bicycle race here. Trengganu is visited by many tourists. The flights are full, not like before. There is now a Star cruise ship every week, bringing many tourists. They can shop. This gives a good opportunity to the people and the state. Where do you stand now regarding Anwar Ibrahim? We think he was oppressed. Pas will stand firm to defend Brother Anwar. Are the parties within the opposition coalition, including Pas, still cooperating with one another? We have good relations. Our cooperation is continuing after the general elections. In Parliament, Pas, DAP and Keadilan MPs are all sitting [mixed] together, not in blocks. We have a shadow cabinet. We even coordinate during debates in Parliament. Sometimes when we are attacked, DAP defends us if we are not there, and vice versa. Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com
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