Malaysia’s Islamist party PAS hints at charm offensive to attract non-Muslim voters

But its leadership has begun to realise it cannot make it into power at the next general election purely on support from Malays, who make up nearly 60 per cent of the country’s 33 million population.

Critics say the party has confected culture wars and promoted an increasingly hardline religious agenda in a bid to fuel support among its Muslim base and unsettle Anwar by driving his administration into taking increasingly conservative positions.

Yet the exclusionary religious rhetoric has alarmed Indian and Chinese minorities and centrist voters.