Sarawak polls: PAS realistic of chances, hopes to spread influence

 

SARAWAK POLLS | PAS does not have high hopes for the upcoming Sarawak legislative assembly election but hopes to use this opportunity to spread its influence.

PAS spiritual adviser Hashim Jasin acknowledged that the party's chances of winning were slim.

"It's not easy to win. We are fielding candidates not so much because we want to win a seat. It's an opportunity to get closer to the people of Sarawak," he said, according to Utusan Malaysia.

In the 2016 state election, PAS fielded 11 candidates, of which six lost their deposits.

However, PAS candidates came in second in Beting Maro and Sebuyau, winning 38.6 percent and 27.6 percent of the votes cast respectively.

During the 2018 parliamentary election, PAS fielded five candidates in Sarawak, where four lost their deposits. PAS' best performance was in Batang Lupar, which encompasses both the Beting Maro and Sebuyau constituencies.

Open heart

On Tuesday, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man stated that his party would field fewer than 11 candidates this time around.

In a related development, PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad said PAS' participation in the Sarawak election was not an attempt to oppose Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), according to Utusan Malaysia.

PAS is allied with GPS as part of the Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration at the federal level.

Ismail Sabri's coalition BN and allied Bersatu have announced that they will stay out of the Sarawak polls out of respect for GPS.

During the recently concluded Malacca election, PAS was part of the PN coalition, which won two seats through its partner Bersatu. One of those seats was wrested from BN.

Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia also quoted Hashim as stating that PAS will continue to uphold the Muafakat Nasional pact with Umno and be part of the PN coalition.

"We will not stop negotiating (with Umno). We hope Umno will have an open heart, not because of PAS, but God commands us to unite.

"To do so, we must meet often. We must focus on what unites the three parties (Umno, PAS, and Bersatu). Our differences should be forgotten in order to unite the ummah," he said.

 - Mkini