M'sia's Islamist party PAS rejects 'attempt' to cast it as 'boogeyman' in S'pore politics after Shanmugam speech

The Islamist Party of Malaysia (PAS) issued a statement "firmly rejecting" what it sees as an attempt to portray it as "convenient boogeyman" for domestic politics in Singapore.

In a media statement on Oct. 15, PAS's secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said:

"We will not allow a false narrative to stand where ordinary cross-border commentary is sensationalised into a security threat for short-term partisan gain."

He added that as a global hub, ideas and opinions "inevitably cross borders".

To classify online remarks as "interference", which are unaccompanied by funding, coordination or directives, "overstates the case", he said.

It also "paves the way for censoring legitimate public discourse", he opined.

What happened?

Takiyuddin appeared to be responding to a ministerial statement made by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in Parliament on Oct. 14.

Shanmugam called for a rejection of politics along racial and religious lines, and highlighted interference by PAS members over the contest in Tampines GRC in the 2025 general election.

"Malaysian politicians from PAS jumped in. They saw an opening and urged Singaporeans to vote along racial and religious lines. PAS National Treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad expressed support for the WP’s Mr Faisal Manap.

PAS Selangor Youth Chief Mohamed Sukri Omar reposted a social media post stating that PAP’s Malay-Muslim MPs cannot be trusted. More than 60 years ago, Malaysian politicians said the same things about PAP Malay-Muslim leaders.

PAS is an Islamist party. Its goal is to Islamise society in Malaysia. It has persistently pushed for the adoption of Shariah law and penalties.

Does anyone, whether in here or outside, seriously believe that PAS is supporting the WP’s Malay Muslim candidates in Singapore because PAS cares for Singaporeans?

Does anyone believe that PAS has Singaporeans’ best interests at heart? Does anyone believe that PAS subscribes to Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-religious model?

Statements by PAS leaders have clearly shown otherwise. In 2024, for example, the PAS President said that Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s strategy of fielding candidates from diverse ethnic backgrounds had led to Malay political influence diminishing in Singapore."

During the GE, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) issued Corrective Directions to Facebook's parent company, Meta, to disable Singapore users' access to some of the PAS members' posts during the election period.

Under Singapore's Parliamentary Elections Act, foreigners must not direct, fund, or in any way influence Singapore's elections.

PAS takes offence to the label of "interference"

Takiyuddin's statement continued its list of grievances.

He said it is the "mark of a mature state" to engage in dialogue confidently and clearly, and that it was "disingenuous" to suggest that Singapore voters are so easily swayed by foreign views that they must be "protected from opinions" they can critically evaluate.

"Blaming outsiders for internal debates is a classic political deflection tactic that conveniently shifts the focus away from difficult domestic issues," Takiyuddin added.

"It is a political shortcut that trades long-term problem-solving for short-term unity against a scapegoat," said the sec-gen.

Takiyuddin concluded by saying PAS is committed to respecting national sovereignty and expects "reciprocal restraint."

Previous incidents where PAS brought up Singapore

PAS and Takiyuddin himself have publicly brought up Singapore in recent times, seemingly for political purposes.

In Nov. 2023, PAS member of parliament Siti Mastura Muhammad accused DAP bigwig Lim Guan Eng of being related to both former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Communist guerrilla leader Chin Peng.

Lim blasted her comment as a "dirty political game".

In Dec. 2023, Takiyuddin slammed DAP's Lim Kit Siang for his comment that one day he would like to see a non-Malay as the prime minister of Malaysia.

Takiyuddin evoked Lee Kuan Yew's name, saying that Lim had a "striking similarity" to Lee's "Malaysian Malaysia" ideal of equality for all Malaysian citizens regardless of race.

In Aug. 2025, Takiyuddin was keen, for some reason, to find out how many Malaysians have renounced their citizenship and applied for Singaporean citizenship from 2015 to 2025.

The number, according to Malaysia's home minister, has been rising in recent years.

Top image from Takiyuddin Hassan's Facebook page.