PAS hopes there is still room for negotiations with Umno through Muafakat Nasional (MN) to avoid clashes between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in 27 “critical” parliamentary seats in the 15th general election, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said.

He said talks between PN’s PAS and BN’s Umno were crucial as three-cornered fights in these Malay-majority seats would only benefit Pakatan Harapan (PH).

“There is definitely a need to talk. For example, PH won the Malay-majority Raub and Bentong parliamentary seats because both (BN and PAS) joined the fray,” he said.

He told reporters this after opening the Dewan Muslimat (women’s wing) annual muktamar in conjunction with the 68th PAS Muktamar in Sik today.

To a question on whether MN still exists, he said neither Umno nor PAS had declared it dead.

MN should be preserved in the interests of Malays and Islam as it is more than just a platform for political discussions during elections, he added.

However, Tuan Ibrahim said if Umno wanted to go it alone in the next general election, PN was prepared for three-cornered fights.

“PN is prepared for any eventuality. But three-cornered contests would be detrimental to both BN and PN,” he added. – Bernama, September 2, 2022.