PAS leaders are not concerned about using the Perikatan Nasional (PN) logo to contest the Malacca elections, saying the party will not lose any influence as a Malay or Islamic organisation.

In the past three general elections, PAS has won only one seat in Malacca. That was in 2008 when it won the Bukit Baru state seat with a 48-vote majority.

Still, members do not doubt the wisdom of the party leadership, which made the political decision after hearing the views of the PAS Ulama Shura council.

Selangor PAS secretary Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir said the decision to use the PN symbol for the election was something that was expected.

“Being a member of PN, of course, the party will decide to (use the PN logo), so, I believe the decision reflects PAS in PN and we will abide by it,” Roslan told The Malaysian Insight.

He said, despite not using the logo, he was confident that the people, especially voters in Malacca, are already familiar with the Islamic party.

“Of course, there are doubts, but let’s try. We don’t have an issue because the party has decided and we accept it,” he added.

On Monday, PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang announced the Islamic party’s decision to contest the Malacca elections using the PN logo.

This is the second time PAS has not contested with its own logo in the party’s history, since its inception in 1951. PAS contested with the Barisan Nasional (BN) logo in 1974 before leaving the coalition three years later.

Meanwhile, PAS central committee member Nasruddin Hassan said their members would always abide by the leadership’s decision, including this.

“Whatever decision is made by the leadership will be well received by the grassroots.

Hadi announced PAS’s stand after the party’s central working committee met with its Ulama Shura council on Sunday.

The decision was made in accordance with the mandate given to the committee through the party constitution to approve the use of the party emblem in elections.

For future elections, Nasrudin said any decision on emblems would be determined according to the political situation at that time.

“We don’t know what will come next. The decision we made was based on the current political situation.

“Whatever next is up to the party leadership, because politics is something dynamic… it depends on current developments,” he said.

A PAS member in Gombak, who wanted to be known as Idham, said members would abide by the leadership’s decision.

He considered it a party strategy, which would not affect the influence of PAS as a political party.

“We have not lost influence, PAS is still relevant because we have loyal supporters,” he said.

Kemaman PAS Youth chief Ramlan Mahmood also said that the decision would not be an issue among the grassroots.

“What is decided by the leadership, whether for state or general elections, will be accepted by the grassroots.

“There is no issue with the decision. This is a good start,” he said.

In GE14, PAS lost all 24 of 28 seats it contested in Malacca, in three-cornered-fights with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).

The Bukit Baru seat is today known as Bukit Katil and is held by former chief minister Adly Zahari, chairman of PH Malacca.

However, votes for PAS candidates in six seats – Gadek, Durian Tunggal, Kelebang, Duyong, Telok Mas and Bemban – if combined with the votes obtained by BN candidates, exceed the votes given to PH candidates. 

That factor is one of the foundations for some factions in Umno and PAS to hope that they will work together to avoid competing against each other, to the benefit Pakatan Harapan.

Umno wants to work with PAS in the Malacca elections, in line with their Muafakat Nasional pact signed since September 2019.

However, Umno has firmly rejected co-operation with Bersatu, PAS’s PN ally.

Nevertheless, Roslan is confident that PAS’s performance in Malacca is consistent like other states on the west coast of the peninsula.

“PAS is still relevant and strong in Malacca. We have our presence in all parliamentary and state seats. We also have our machinery there,” he said. – November 3, 2021.