PAS aims to win at least 40 parliamentary seats in the next general election in a bid to ensure Muslim clout in Malaysian politics, said party president Abdul Hadi Awang.
The party intends to solidify its position in Kelantan and Selangor, where it now forms state government, and seek to regain power in Terenggau and Kedah, PAS organ Harakah Daily reported.
Hadi said it is PAS responsibility to defend Islam and to ensure Muslims are in a position of power, even if it cannot obtain a simple majority of 112 seats in Parliament.
"Our strategy will break Umno's arrogance and bring about change in our country.
"We must understand. We cannot move forward if we don't look back and reflect on our weaknesses," he reportedly said in a special president' address in Kedah.
He said political co-operation with DAP and PKR in past elections had forced Umno and BN's defeat in 89 parliamentary seats, and wrested the popular vote.
However, the imbalanced number of seats among the political parties and between Muslims and non-Muslim representatives prompted PAS to review the co-operation.
"Did you realise how the seats were divided? Of the 89 opposition seats, 21 belongs to PAS, 30 to PKR and 38 to DAP.
"PAS contributed 25 percent of the election machinery (for the political pact) while the other parties did their part, but the seats are not divided in the same way.
"Our people were in the trenches yet the only payback was cheers of victory. Do we realise this?" he asked.
"In the 89 seats held by opposition, only 39 are held by Muslims, while 50 are by non-Muslims," he said.
Hadi has consistently rejected co-operation with DAP in the 14th general election, but said PAS is open to working with Umno splinter party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
DAP is predominantly made up of non-Muslim members while Bersatu is the converse.
PKR, which has a balance of Muslim and non-Muslim members, is maintaining talks with PAS in hopes to forge a political pact between Pakatan Harapan, Bersatu and PAS.
