ABSTRACT
In order to predict future trends in the treatment of apostasy one has to analyse the approach of the two major Muslim parties – the UMNO and the PAS – towards the issue.
PAS and its Modernization
In addition to apostasy laws, PAS has introduced several other measures such as a ban on gambling, restrictions on alcohol, the introduction of dress codes for female civil servants and separate checkouts for men and women at supermarkets, and has made attempts to introduce a land tax (kharaj) on non-Muslims. These and other reforms are part of a strategy to establish an Islamic state, in part an attempt to appease conservatives within the Party keen on a speedier implementation of Islamic law.
