KUALA TRENGGANU, Malaysia -- The Malaysian government's move to separate religion from politics has touched a raw nerve in the leading opposition party in Malaysia. It has incensed the theocratic Islamic Party (PAS), whose cardinal principle is Islam, to the last man.
At a mammoth rally before 50,000 angry and chanting members and supporters in a stadium in the state of Trengganu on June 3, PAS leaders warned the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which leads the ruling National Front (NF) coalition government of Malaysia, not to "play with fire," otherwise it would get burned.
PAS was referring to UMNO's recent bid to have the word "Islam" deleted from its name as a first step toward separating religion from politics in Malaysia. Should this pass, PAS, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, would merely be called Parti se-Malaysia.