Kelantan PAS to field more professionals, new faces in state polls

 

Kelantan PAS will feature more professionals in its candidate line-up for the upcoming state elections, according to Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah.

Amar (above), who is also Kelantan PAS deputy chief commissioner, said voters can expect up to 30 percent of new faces from among the party’s candidates.

“We are including more professionals this time around.

“Even I am leaving it to the party (on whether to be fielded or otherwise),” said Amar at a press conference after the launch of Kelantan Maju Rakyat Sejahtera Carnival at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim, Kota Bharu, today.

He said this when asked whether all of PAS’ elected representatives in the state will be defending their seat in the upcoming polls after the 45-seat Kelantan state assembly was officially dissolved earlier today.

PAS had in the 14th general election maintained its dominance in Kelantan after winning 37 out of the 45 seats, while Umno formed the state opposition bench with eight seats.

Meanwhile, Amar said the names of the proposed PAS candidates had come from the party’s divisions based on initial election surveys. 

“Typically, there will be three names proposed for each seat, after screening at the state level we will refer them to the PAS Syura Ulama Council for further scrutiny.

“From there, a final decision will be made,” he said.

On the two seats PAS had requested from Bersatu, now its partner in Perikatan Nasional, Amar said the seats fall under the Gua Musang and Jeli parliamentary seats.

“Because if PAS did not contest even one seat in the two parliamentary seats, we are afraid it would lower the morale of our party workers and supporters,” said the PAS vice-president.

In GE14, Bersatu had contested 10 state seats in Kelantan as part of Pakatan Harapan. - Mkini