PAS is highly unlikely to meet its aim of standing for 80 federal seats and winning at least 40 of them, political observers said.

They told The Malaysian Insight that PAS wanting to contest in 80 seats as was announced during their annual general assembly over the weekend reflects their desperation to maintain the position and power they have now. 

Ilham Center executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said the 80 seats could be seen as realistic and a possibility if PAS contested solo like in GE14.

However the target seems illogical given that PAS is part of the Perikatan Nasional pact, he said. 

Hisomuddin added that clashes with other parties were inevitable. 

“For me it is illogical and very difficult to find common ground to contest and win 80 seats.”

“It is even more difficult if it is said that there is conflict between PAS and Umno,” he said.

Yesterday, PAS central election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said PAS aims to contest 80 parliamentary seats in the upcoming general election. 

Sanusi, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar, said the number was double compared with the 40 seats they contested in the last general election. 

He said that PAS was analysing the constituencies that can be in the list of 80 parliamentary seats. 

“Any constituency that does not achieve the key performance index (KPI) will be dropped and replaced by another that is found to have improved in performance, both in terms of machinery preparation and other requirements, to face the election,” he said. 

On Friday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was time for the party to move forward without PAS, seemingly shutting its door to any future collaboration with the Islamist party. 

He said the decision to go solo in the next general election was due to PAS’ antics.

“There is nothing (for Umno) to sob about when PAS always played it safe but at the same time, they can be with others,” Zahid said. 

Hisomuddin said that PAS was going to find it difficult to avoid clashes with Umno, especially in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. 

“So in such a situation, the 18 seats that now belong to PAS and their hopes of defending them are very difficult,” he said.

According to Hisomuddin, of the 40 seats that PAS is eyeing to win, 18 belong to them while Amanah has 11 seats. The rest of the seats are those PAS came out second in GE14.

PAS vice-president Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the 40 seats must be won by PAS to strengthen its position in Putrajaya.

He said this was in addition to winning back the three PAS controlled states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. 

In the 2018 general election, PAS won 18 parliamentary seats, six in Terengganu, nine in Kelantan and three in Kedah.

PAS then joined the government after colluding with Bersatu and Umno through the Sheraton Move in February 2020

Hisomuddin said the most important question that needs to be answered is whether Perikatan Nasional will allow 80 seats to be contested by PAS. 

This, he said, was because there has not been any final decision by PN on seat allocations.

He also said that PAS members had put forward a strong call during the assembly to reject any cooperation with Pakatan Harapan. 

PAS’ logo dilemma

Hisomuddin said the biggest challenge for PAS was the use of the logo for GE15, if it would be their own moon emblem or Perikatan’s common logo.

“I’m not sure how Bersatu will accept PAS using their logo,” he said.

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin political analyst Azmi Omar believes one of the reasons PAS wants to cooperate with Umno is because of the use of their logo.

He said that if PAS is with Umno in Muafakat Nasional, then it can use its own symbol, but that situation will not happen with PN.

“With PN, they (PAS) will have to use the PN logo.”

“But if they are together with MN, they can use their own logo because BN will insist on using the BN logo, they don’t want another logo, so it’s easy for PAS to use their logo.”

“PAS knows that if they use any other logo they will have problems in GE15, So PAS is now in a very big dilemma,” he said.

Azmi also believes that PAS is not very confident of winning on their own.

“PAS is not confident as they know their wins in GE15 had been with a coalition and that’s how they got their existing number of seats.”

“If they go solo, then they won’t even win their targeted seats this time. So, they insist on MN even if Umno says no.” – September 6, 2022.