PAS Denies Joint Candidate Announcement with BN, Seeks Additional Seats in Melaka Polls
PETALING JAYA: PAS has denied that it will announce its candidates for the upcoming Melaka state election alongside Barisan Nasional (BN) on Saturday (Oct 24), saying negotiations over seat allocations between the parties have yet to be finalized.
PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party was expected to announce its candidates on Oct 28 or 29, shortly before nomination day, Sinar Harian reported.
“Not at this stage. We will make the announcement towards the end, either on Oct 28 or 29,” he told reporters in Kota Baru on Friday (Oct 23).
He was speaking after delivering a religious lecture at the Karnival Rakyat 36 Tahun Membangun Bersama Islam at Dataran Warisan, Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium.
His remarks followed a statement by BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Thursday (Oct 22) that BN and PAS would share a stage to announce their candidates at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) on Saturday.
Tuan Ibrahim said PAS had previously agreed to allow BN to announce its candidates first. However, he stressed that maintaining smooth cooperation between the parties was more important than holding a joint announcement.
He said the cooperation was based on mutual understanding, similar to the arrangement adopted during the previous Negri Sembilan state election.
Tuan Ibrahim, who is also Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman, said negotiations over seat allocations with BN were still underway, with PN hoping to secure an additional one or two seats.
He said the seven seats previously mentioned by Ahmad Zahid had not been finalized, as discussions continued at the coalition’s main committee level.
“Although the seven seats mentioned by the Umno president are seats that Barisan did not win, we are still negotiating for another one or two seats,” he said.
“We expect the matter to be finalized today or tomorrow, God willing.”
According to Tuan Ibrahim, the seven seats under discussion comprise four constituencies won by DAP and three Malay-majority constituencies.
He added that the final allocation would be determined by the top leadership through the seat negotiation committee.
Ahmad Zahid had earlier announced that BN would contest 21 of Melaka’s 28 state seats, while PAS and its allies would contest the remaining seven.
However, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said on Thursday that neither the seat distribution nor the details of the political cooperation had been finalized.
The negotiations are expected to determine the final electoral arrangement between the coalitions ahead of the state polls.
The Melaka state election is scheduled for Nov 14, with nomination day set for Oct 31.