THE fact that PAS is fielding candidates against Umno and other Barisan Nasional parties proves that it is not cooperating with the ruling coalition, said Johor PAS commissioner Abdullah Hussin.

Amid claims of a conspiracy between the Islamist party’s top leadership and BN leaders, as well as accusations that PAS had received funds from Umno, Abdullah is seeking to reassure voters that the party is sincere in its fight against BN.

The state PAS has fielded candidates in up to 80% of seats where BN is contesting, said Abdullah, who is standing in the Tebrau federal and Puteri Wangsa state seats.

“It’s not reasonable for anyone to give us RM90 million only for us to fight against them. It is all slander,” he said during a press conference at the state PAS office in Bandar Baru Eda today.

The party’s leaders had allegedly received RM90 million from Umno, according to UK-based whistle-blower website Sarawak Report, which is being sued for defamation by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

PAS was once a member of the now defunct opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat. After leaving the pact, its top leadership has indicated several times that the party is willing to cooperate with Umno.

Johor PAS is contesting 20 parliamentary and 41 state seats in the 14th general election.

In the federal seats, it will go up against Umno in 11, and other BN components in the remaining nine.

In the state seats, PAS is up against Umno in 31, and other BN parties in the remaining 10. – April 29, 2018.