PAS READY TO CONTEST 42 SEATS IN SELANGOR, 3-CORNERED FIGHTS LIKELY
Pas, pushed by DAP and PAN, plans to contest in 42 out of 56 Selangor seats
DAWN CHAN
AND SOO WERN JUN SHAH ALAM news@nst.com.my
MORE three-cornered fights can be expected in Selangor in the next election, with Pas asserting it was pushed by DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) to contest in 42 out of 56 state seats.
Political analyst Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said it was bound to happen if Pas continued with its plan, revealed by Selangor Pas commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi, for the state where it contested in 21 seats in the 13th General Election.
“Three-cornered fights will definitely happen, that goes without saying.”
But, Azizuddin pointed out that it might not work in their favour.
“They cannot survive on their own in Selangor. They have to form an alliance that is independently strong enough to garner votes.”
In a press conference yesterday, Sallehen said previous statements made by DAP and PAN had pushed Pas to consider contesting in 42 state seats in Selangor.
These seats include the Kajang and Bukit Antarabangsa state seats, held by PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
“They were the ones who started it, and we accept their challenge,” Sallehen said.
He said Selangor DAP chairman Tony Pua and the state PAN chairman Izham Hashim had both stressed that their parties would take on seats held by Pas in the next election.
“We are looking at this seriously. We will contest in seats traditionally held by Pas. We will not give in to them and are ready to face our contenders, be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan.
“Selangor Pas is prepared to field candidates in the 42 seats even if it resulted in three-cornered fights between Pas, Pakatan Harapan and BN.”
Despite taking such a stand, Sallehen said Pas Selangor was willing to negotiate with other parties, but it would not work with BN.
He said Selangor Pas’s decision to contest for the 42 seats, an increase of 21 more from the 13th General Election, was neither discussed with Azmin nor conveyed to him.
He said there had been no formal discussions on seats yet since Pas decided to sever political ties with PKR this year.
Selangor Pas, he added, had discussions with Azmin on state matters, but not on political issues.
He said several Selangor Pas leaders, who were trying to convince PKR to discuss election matters with the party, were doing so in their personal capacities.
“Pas’s stance is more important than a personal point of view. Like I said before, Selangor Pas has never closed the door to discussion, especially on ensuring the wellbeing of the people as well as the state, and political stability.”
Sallehen said the party was also eyeing to take back the Gombak parliamentary seat, which is held by PKR.
Azmin, who is Selangor menteri besar, won the seat in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.
“It is imperative for us to take back Gombak. It is a Pas traditional seat,” he said, adding that even before PKR’s existence, Pas had always been interested in many seats in Selangor.
“The decision to contest in the 42 state constituencies had been agreed by the Pas central committee.”
He said the party’s central committee would also decide on which parliamentary seats it would contest in Selangor.
He expressed confidence that Pas would win all the seats it planned to contest, adding that the potential candidates for the seats would be made up of influential Pas figures as well as new faces.
We are looking at this seriously. We will contest in seats traditionally held by Pas. We will not give in to them and are ready to face our contenders, be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan.