At its 70th muktamar on Saturday, PAS agreed to amend its constitution to allow non-Muslims to become associate members.

Bersatu associate wing chief Chong Fat Full told FMT the move would allow PAS to counter “negative narratives” about the party and improve its standing among non-Malays ahead of the Johor state constituency polls.

He said the general distrust non-Malays have towards PAS was due to a misinterpretation of views expressed by leaders of the Islamist party on certain matters.

Chong also said the “green wave” label frequently used by PN’s political rivals gave rise to a “negative connotation” against the opposition coalition.

“Therefore, PAS allowing non-Muslims to join the party is a positive development. PAS has portrayed itself as an inclusive party ready to embrace non-Muslims,” said Chong, who heads Bersatu’s non-Malay wing.

The term “green wave” was first used by politicians and analysts to describe PN’s reliance on Malay-Muslim sentiment to secure support in the lead up to the 15th general election.

PAS went on to win 43 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, the highest by a single party, while coalition partner Bersatu took 25 seats.

PN leaders have decried the use of the term, saying it was demeaning and attached a “stigma” to the coalition. However, in June, PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin used the term when speaking about PN’s growing political dominance.

Hashim had predicted that the unity government would struggle to stem the rise of the green wave at the Sungai Bakap by-election in July. PAS ended up winning the seat with a strong 4,267-vote majority.

Meanwhile, Chong said it was vital that PN use both social media and a personal approach to woo non-Malays on the Mahkota campaign trail.

In an apparent attempt to manage expectations as to the outcome of the Sept 28 polls, Chong said he expects to see an improvement in PN’s standing among the non-Malays.

“In general, the Bersatu associate wing is cautiously optimistic about improving non-Malay support for the PN candidate.”

The Mahkota by-election will see a straight fight between Barisan Nasional’s Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah, who is Kluang Umno Youth chief, and PN’s Haizan Jaafar, a former local councillor with the Kluang municipal council.