On Jan 4, 2002, a golden opportunity was given to PAS (along with DAP and Ikim) to speak on the topic Is Malaysia an Islamic state?

The event was organised by the Catholic Research Centre and held at the St Francis Xaviers Church in Petaling Jaya.

However, PAS' Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali, known as an articulate speaker and lauded for his 'progressive' image, wasted the 20 minutes accorded to him to explain to an audience who are understandably hostile yet all the more anxious to know about the Islamic concept of state.

Fluent in English and widely-read, Hasan represented hope in breaking away from the traditional ceramah, and the party-political-type image that Umno and PAS are stuck with (and for which much damage was caused to the Islamic state vision).

What was essentially a forum on Islam's concept of state and governance turned out to be an English version of a typical PAS ceramah.

Hasan failed to drive home the point of justice in Islam. Instead, he spoke of his 'personal' experience of being treated unfairly as an opposition member of parliament.

He failed to explain why he disagreed that Malaysia was already an Islamic state, though he certainly stated it. Instead, he again burst into an orgy of Umno-bashing.

In the end, moderator Dr Patricia Martinez felt obliged to ask Hasan if he could share PAS' understanding of an Islamic state with the audience.

During question time, the PAS spokesperson was thrown another wonderful opportunity to explain the Islamic concept of justice. He blew that one, too.

He also stumbled when a member of the audience questioned him on Islam's view of apostasy, linking it with the freedom of religious practice.

To this, Hasan gave a schoolchild's reply that it was a rule ordained by God and therefore it was difficult to rationalise. For awhile I thought it was another of his jokes, but it turned out to be his serious reply.

It is time that PAS leaders buck up and understand the mood of the country's multireligious crowd.

The Muslims are losing grip on the "social contract" they claim to have entered into with the non-Muslims for the political power they seem to have inherited.

Political power in the final analysis depends on economic and intellectual power. Malaysians have matured much faster than Umno and PAS leaders had expected.

So they have to prepare themselves to face this challenge in a rational way, if Islam is to have an abiding influence in this country.