‘PAS TO CONTEST MORE THAN 150 PARLIAMENTARY SEATS’

It will also contest almost all state seats, says party secretary-general

PAS has decided to contest in more than 150 parliamentary seats in the 14th General Election (GE14), including Langkawi, whether it will take on Barisan Nasional and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Its secretary-general, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, said the decision was reached during the party’s daily executive committee meeting in Penang on Sunday.

“In the meeting, chaired by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and attended by all the 12 committee members, we decided to field candidates at more than 150 parliamentary seats,” he said in a statement.

“Pas will also be contesting in almost all state seats.”

On the candidates’ list, Takiyuddin said the party had finalised 95 per cent of it for the parliamentary and state assembly levels, including Sabah and Sarawak.

An announcement on the candidates’ list is expected to be made next week.

In the 13th General Election, Pas contested 65 parliamentary seats and won 21.

In Bukit Mertajam, Hadi announced that the party would field a young candidate to contest the Langkawi parliamentary constituency.

“We sympathise with Dr Mahathir. He is well into his sunset years, and as a medical doctor, he should be doing charity work at Klinik 1Malaysia.

“Yet, he wants to contest. So, we will fight him. Our candidate will be energetic. Be it from Pas or Gagasan Sejahtera, we will fight on,” he said.

Pas’ decision to contest the Langkawi parliamentary seat was the first to be made by the Islamic party in an Umno stronghold.

On Sunday, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced Dr Mahathir as the opposition’s candidate for the seat.

The last time Dr Mahathir contested in a general election was in 1999.

In the 13th General Election, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Nawawi Ahmad won the Langkawi seat.