It would seem that the Islamist are trying to reinvent themselves for the election, but will it be a temporary thing or are they serious?
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's hardline Islamist party is reshaping its image ahead of widely expected early elections, trying to reach beyond its northeastern stronghold, but skeptics are looking for a true change of heart.
The party has lifted a ban on Western-style pop concerts, unveiled a seven-storey headquarters next to Kuala Lumpur's red-light district and last week voted in a crop of young moderate leaders over its more usual turban-clad clerics.
Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), a major opposition force until it was crushed in the last elections in 2004, is banking on the younger leaders to lure back Muslim Malay support and give the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi what it calls "a run for its money".
Malaysia's Islamists reshape image to win allies | Reuters