Hadi’s tendency to frequently change his stance on various issues was a stumbling block, said analyst Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya.“Hadi employs the name of Islam to make things ‘permissible’ or ‘forbidden’ according to his own preferences,” he said.

“As a result, voters consistently perceive PAS as lacking consistency,” Awang Azman told FMT.

He said PAS may become more moderate when Hadi is no longer president. “Maybe that will be the era when PAS stops making non-Muslims their punching bag. The biggest obstacle right now is Hadi,” he said.

PAS should stop considering non-Muslims as their political adversaries if the party wanted to have any hope of gaining non-Muslim support, he said in the wake of comments by outgoing PAS youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari that his biggest regret was  PAS’s failure to make major inroads among non-Malays and non-Muslims.

However, on Friday, Hadi said PAS must focus on garnering non-Malay and non-Muslim support in the 16th general election due by 2027.

Awang Azman said PAS members need to undergo a shift in their mindset. “It’s essential to recognise that Malaysia is a diverse, multiracial country that requires cooperation, rather than relying solely on religious and political sentiments to garner political backing,” he said.

Another analyst, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, said PAS had recognised the need to secure non-Malay support as it had come to understand that Malay support alone was insufficient for a party to form the federal government.

“PAS needs to change and not be too extreme. Otherwise, you may have control over Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perlis, but beyond that, it’s unlikely that you can secure the federal government, even with the support of Bersatu or Gerakan,” he said.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said PAS is unlikely to gain substantial support from non-Muslims “no matter what it does”, as its party name “Parti Islam Malaysia” clearly indicates its primary objective of establishing an Islamic state.

“There is no common ground that would enable PAS to attract and secure the support of non-Muslims. The core beliefs of PAS prevent such an outcome,” said Chin.