PAS is again shying away from using its “moon” logo in the Sabah election, due to be held this year.
Party deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said PAS will likely use the logo of any party it is teaming up with.
“PAS has identified at least six seats to contest in the Sabah election, and maybe we will use the logo of any party in our pact,” he told reporters in Putrajaya today.
The pact - Tuan Ibrahim suggests - may not just be PAS and its Perikatan Nasional partners Bersatu and Gerakan.
Instead, he suggested that there could be a way to avoid a four-cornered fight between PN, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Warisan and the Madani coalition consisting of BN and Pakatan Harapan.
“Umno (BN) has decided to work with Harapan, and in Sabah, we have Warisan, GRS, and PN.
“So I feel if we can create a grand coalition that would be better, and I see the need for this framework, for PN, GRS, and Warisan to create a pact to face Umno-Harapan,” he said.
He said PAS has a good relationship with GRS and would engage with Bersatu to review the need for a strong coalition in the upcoming polls.
Poor East M’sian record
PAS has never won any seats in East Malaysia, where its brand of Islamist politics is often perceived as being at odds with the local culture in which diversity - especially in faith - is embraced and held dear.
If such a pact as envisioned by Tuan Ibrahim comes to fruition, it would thus allow PAS flexibility to choose various logos to contest under that can help it secure support from voters who find the partner party or coalition more palatable.
Previously in 2020, PAS had expressed its intention to use the logo of BN - its then partner in the federal government - for the state election that year.
Ultimately, neither BN nor PN allocated any seats for PAS to contest in 2020. However, the party did get one assemblyperson appointed to the state legislature by then PN-state chief Hajiji Noor.
One obstacle to Tuan Ibrahim’s proposal for a grand coalition against BN-Harapan is animosity between Bersatu and GRS.
This is as GRS assemblypersons had defected from Bersatu in late 2022 to become partners with the Madani coalition.
Bersatu leaders have since been on the attack against GRS, particularly after the corruption scandal involving GRS assemblypersons allegedly taking bribes surfaced. - Mkini
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