In November, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the Democratic...

In November, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and National Justice Party (Keadilan) agreed to form an Alternative Front to combat the ruling dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). PAS is led by Islamic clerics and teachers and promotes a fundamentalist brand of Islam that is totally at odds with the Chinese-led DAP's secularism. The third component was formed earlier this year by Wan Azizah Ismail to promote the policies of her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, the jailed former deputy prime minister, and to back his claim to being the victim of a high-level political conspiracy. PAS, the DAP and Keadilan, together with the tiny Malaysian People's Party, issued a joint manifesto and agreed Anwar should be prime minister if they came to power.