SARAWAK PAS appears to have gone back on its promise to not take part in the Sarawak elections.

The Islamist party declared in a statement today that it is ready for the coming state polls and is equally prepared for snap parliamentary elections should they be called.

On July 2, Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had given his assurance at a meeting of  pro-Perikatan Nasional party leaders that his party would not be fielding candidates in the state elections.

However, Sarawak PAS Commissioner Jofri Jaraiee today said the party has already identified the seats it wished to contest.

He did not say how many seats the party would contest.

In the 2016 Sarawak elections, PAS fought for 11 seats, which were mainly Malay- and Muslim-majority, and was mostly trounced.

Nearly three-quarters of its candidates, including Jofri who stood in the Chinese-majority seat of Pujut in Miri, lost their deposit.

Jofri polled only 413 votes among the 17,098 votes cast.

The other seats the party contested were the Malay-majority Lambir, Jepak, Beting Maro, Sebuyau, Sadong Jaya, Muara Tuang, Samariang and Santubong, and interestingly, the Dayak-majority seats of Samalaju and Kakus.

PAS went into the elections on its own and had to contend with its former members in Amanah who had the backing of the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

Jofri said the growing number of Iban members in PAS shows the party has found acceptance among non-Muslims. – August 7, 2020.