Bintulu PAS chief Abdul Halim Abdul Kadir said many people in Sarawak were ready to accept Islam and be led by Islamist parties such as PAS.

He however lamented that without proper funding and the presence of party leaders, PAS risked being labelled as a peninsular party by Sarawakians.

Halim said the party could start by getting its leaders to visit the state more often, in person or virtually.

“Sarawak Darul Hana is as big as the peninsula. We really need more funds to strengthen PAS in the state to ensure that our dakwah activities can carry on,” he said at the party’s muktamar here today.

Halim said PAS had carried on fighting for its cause in Sarawak despite losing all the parliamentary and state seats it had contested since 1999.

He said in the Beting Maro constituency in particular, PAS had made major inroads, forming 30 active branches since 2009.

“We have readied our machinery for the coming state election; all we need is the green light from the central leadership to contest.”