Prepare for polls now, Zaid tells opposition

He says its best for Pakatan and PPBM to forget about PAS and to settle seat allocations soon.

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PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has urged the opposition alliance to assume that the general election will be held soon and to treat the task of preparing for it as urgent.

“International media predict that the 14th general election will take place in the third quarter of this year,” he said in an interview with FMT. “So seat allocations should be settled soon. If this can’t be done, then that’s not a good sign. After you’re done with seat allocations, you’ll still have to find the suitable candidates.”

Zaid stressed the importance of looking at a candidate’s ability to win a seat, cautioning against the practice of claiming dibs. “No party should say this is our seat and that is your seat,” he said. “Who can win the seat and who has the best chance – that should be the criterion.”

The matter of seat allocations among opposition parties has been complicated by the uncertainty over PAS’ political stand. Zaid, like some other opposition supporters, believes the Islamist party is secretly supporting Barisan Nasional.

He noted that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman Mahathir Mohamad had given PAS a deadline to decide whether it would work with Pakatan Harapan and PPBM.

“But I think PAS has already made a decision,” he said. “PAS is with Najib. It’s very clear. There’s no need to wait.

“If PPBM wants to support PAS, then it will seem as if PPBM too supports Najib. I’m a simple man. To me, if you are against me, whoever supports you is also against me.”

Other opposition figures, particularly those in PKR and PPBM, remain hopeful that PAS will join the alliance and have not stopped wooing the party.

“It’s better to have three-cornered or four-cornered battles than to have an ally whose loyalty you don’t even know,” Zaid said. -FMT