Kuala Lampur, Aug. 8 -- There is a fundamental problem confronting PAS under Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. It wants to become sufficiently powerful to govern Malaysia, yet it continues to struggle to convince substantial numbers of non-Malays and non-Muslims that they would have an equal and secure political place under a government in which PAS exercises dominant influence.

PAS itself has acknowledged the electoral dimension of this weakness. Hadi conceded after GE15 that the party had failed to attract sufficient non-Muslim support and needed to overcome this problem before GE16.

But recognising an electoral problem is different from confronting its political causes.

This is where the emergence of Parti Wawasan Negara under Datuk Seri Ha...