KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang published today a lengthy critique that again took aim at ethnic minorities, suggesting that they are scheming for political power and that this is the underlying reason why they are keen to go to the ballots.

The allegation was made as a conclusion to his theory about the growing public disgust of politics, which Hadi claimed is ultimately a result of a deep-seeded conspiracy by Western colonialists whose endgame is to sow suspicion towards "Islamic governance”.

As a result, the Malays now lack "self-belief” and are even distrustful of their own faith, the Marang MP added.

This quagmire, he went on to write, had made the ethnic majority weak and allowed other races to chance upon the community whose political awareness are still left wanting compared to the minorities.

"We witness the hatred towards politics happening because they are influenced by demons wearing human masks, which is happening to the Muslims themselves who are used by their own puppet masters,” Hadi said in Facebook posting published this evening.

"Their own understanding of Islam itself lacks vigour... today in our own country we witness how the Malays who are Muslims remain the slowest to register as voters because the demons inherited from the colonial era have succeeded in possessing them,” he added.

"At the same time, we see races who are not Muslims are racing with each other to grab the chance at political power.”

Hadi’s party is facing minority backlash after the PAS-led Kedah state government said this year’s Thaipusam, a religious event celebrated by the country’s two million over Hindus, will not be a public holiday.

Kedah Mentri Besar Sanusi Md Nor said the call had taken into account the ongoing movement control order, enforced since January 13 and to last until February.

Critics, among them Barisan Nasional’s Indian-based component member MIC, immediately blasted the move as racist. Some said Sanusi’s action underpinned PAS’ long standing problem with religious bigotry although the party has continued to deny this.

Both PAS and MIC are members of the ruling coalition.

It is unclear if the issue had prompted Hadi to make the allegations. Labelling western political ideas as colonialist conspiracy has been a standard trope the PAS president has used repeatedly in his lectures and public speeches.

In today’s posting, the Marang MP again suggested that the Malay community is rife with self-doubt and is suspicious of politics and Islamic governance, which he blamed on Western conspirators.

"They have spread ‘tasykik’ towards Islamic teachings, particularly against its political ideas by drawing parallels Islamic politics with others,” he wrote, using the Arabic term that roughly means "spreading doubt and suspicion”.

"They dumped Islam in the same basket as other brands which led to [people thinking] all politics are dirty and treacherous.”

Last year, PAS had backed the Perikatan Nasional’s government takeover led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and was rewarded with several posts in the Cabinet, government and government-linked agencies and companies.