PAS' pockets deep enough to survive GE14, insists sec-gen

GE14 | PAS today stressed that the party has enough financial resources to contest 160 seats in the 14th general election on May 9.

Its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said that besides relying on contributions from party members as its main source of funds, the party also receives funds from outsiders, as long as it is halal.

"PAS' money is in the pocket of our members. PAS has a million members, and if each of them contributed RM35, we already have RM35 million.

"There are party members and supporters who contribute as little as RM10 monthly, and more. We don't check whether they are PAS members or not, as long as they are sincere.

"Contribution confirmed as halal, we can receive from anyone," he told a press conference at PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Takiyuddin, however, stressed that PAS had never received funding from Umno.

"Even if they (Umno) give, we will not take," he said.

Earlier today, incumbent Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar questioned PAS' capability to afford the at least RM34.4 million the Islamist party needs to contest in 160 seats. 

The Amanah lawmaker and former PAS member alleged that PAS' real intention in contesting that many seats was to split votes against Pakatan Harapan, so that Umno can win comfortably.

PAS can retain Kelantan

On another matter, Takiyuddin expressed confidence that PAS will retain Kelantan in GE14.

This, he said, is because voters residing outside the state will return to cast their votes, even if they "have to crawl," as inculcated in them by the party's late spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

"This is not the first time the election is held on a working day.

"Kelantan folk residing outside the state have been for years taught by the likes of Tok Guru Nik Aziz, who said: 'If you have a car, drive, if you don't, ride a motorcycle, and if not, ride a bicycle. If you have nothing, crawl back (to vote)'.

"That is the motivation inculcated by Tok Guru to the people of Kelantan. They love their state, they will be back," Takiyuddin said.

He was responding to a question about the possibility of Kelantan voters not returning home to vote on a working day.

Previously, Harapan and even PAS had questioned the fixing of May 9, a Wednesday, as polling day. - Mkini