In an unprecedented move, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang visited the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur last month, where he was received with a flower garland by the BN component party's president SA Vigneswaran. 

This came in the wake of Umno and PAS forming an official political alliance.

In a Harakah Online article today, Hadi recalled the visit and spoke at length about India, noting how the country had given birth to various religions and Muslim scholars.

The PAS president also related the Islamist party's historical ties with Indians of the Hindu faith.

According to him, PAS' second president Dr Abbas Alias, a medical officer during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, once saved a Hindu prisoner from a death sentence.

“When PAS wanted to contest in the 1955 general election, it sought to change its status from an NGO to a political party.

“So the late Abbas went to the Registrar of Societies' office. The Hindu he had saved was the deputy registrar. The latter was shocked to see the man who rescued him from the hangman's noose.

“Coincidentally, the man's boss, an orang putih (British) did not come to the office (on that day), so the man immediately signed the authorisation letter for PAS to become a political party,” he added.

Expressing his appreciation to MIC for inviting him to its headquarters, Hadi also noted how there are non-Muslim Indians in PAS supporters' wing.

“We should not place all non-Muslims in the same basket with those who are prejudiced towards Islam, racial fanatics and extremists. Implement what the Quran states – that all of mankind is one big family,” he added.

The PAS president also stressed the importance of facing different things in an open manner through dialogue in order to seek the truth.

He said Islam can accept wisdom from all quarters.

“Stop being prejudiced towards Islam... stop making statements without possessing knowledge of Islam which serves to only expose one's ignorance...,” he added.