TURBO-CHARGED BY NAJIB’S ‘RM90MIL GIFT’? PAS TO CONTEST EVEN MORE SEATS THAN ‘FILTHY-RICH’ UMNO IN GE14

PAS research centre director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki today confirmed his party will stand in at least 130 parliamentary seats, making it the largest number of seats to be contested by any one political party in the country.

The number even exceeds the total number of seats contested by the country’s largest political party in the last general election, Umno, which stood in 121 parliamentary seats and won 88.

“PAS will contest in no less than 130 parliamentary seats. The remaining will be filled by Gagasan Sejahtera component parties, NGOs and eminent persons who stand with the coalition,” he told journalists at Kolej Universiti Islam Zulkifli Muhammad in Taman Melewar, Batu Caves today.

Earlier, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had delivered a lecture at the university.

PAS leads Gagasan Sejahtera, a third force coalition which also comprises Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) and Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia, both of which have never won an electoral contest.

However, Zuhdi (photo below) said the final number of parliamentary seats Gagasan Sejahtera will collectively contest has yet to be decided.

He also stated that PAS will lend assistance to its coalition partners as well as eminent figures who stand with the coalition who lack election machinery.

“PAS will use PAS’ logo, the other parties will use their respective logos and for NGOs and individuals, we are still in discussion.

“Perhaps they will contest as independents, but we (PAS) will assist them in their campaigns,” he said.

In the last general election, PAS contested a total of 65 parliamentary seats and won 21.

Zuhdi said PAS’ electoral preparation was already 90 percent done, and the party is expected to unveil its policies and manifesto in the near future.

Last Sunday, Pakatan Harapan concluded its seat negotiations for Peninsular Malaysia which would see Bersatu contest in 52 parliamentary seats, PKR in 51 seats, DAP in 35 seats and Amanah in 27 seats.

PKR, DAP and Amanah are expected to divide the remaining 57 seats in East Malaysia between themselves.

The number of seats each party will get there may be less if a pact is formed with Parti Warisan Sabah. Bersatu will likely sit out of the region.

Even after the seat negotiations for East Malaysia are resolved, no single Harapan party will contest anything approaching the total number of parliamentary seats that PAS intends to.

– M’kini