Amanah has welcomed PKR deputy president Mohd Azmin Ali's statement that Pakatan Harapan should work towards ensuring one-to-one fights in the next general election.

However, it condemned PAS for supposedly using PKR in a bid to keep Amanah from standing in seats PAS is keen to contest

“Amanah wishes to voice its protest against PAS' attempt to use PKR to stop Amanah from contesting. Such a parochial, closed, and anti-democratic attitude from PAS, is among the reasons why Amanah was formed.

“PAS needs to understand that all parties, including Amanah, has the right to contest wherever it wants,” said Amanah communications director Khalid Abd Samad in a statement today.

He was referring to a Azmin's statement yesterday, where he told reporters that the Pakatan Harapan coalition would aim for one-to-one fights in the next election, and any disputes between its allies would have to be resolved.

He also downplayed tensions between PAS and its splinter party Amanah, saying that overlapping claims on seats are 'normal'.

"The election is still a long way to go. The overlapping of seats happens at every by-election, general election and state election. It is a normal process.

"All the parties have to sit down and discuss. Our principle and agreement is that it has to be a one-to-one fight," he said at a press conference, when responding to a call from a PAS parliamentarian Mohd Khairuddin At-Takiri.

Mohd Khairuddin had urged PKR not to allow Amanah to contest at PAS seats in the next general election.

“If PKR, which cooperates with Amanah, has agreed to support Amanah to contest in a three-cornered fight in PAS vs Umno seats, then why must PAS back down and give way to PKR to avoid a three-cornered fight?” he said.

In a first-past-the-post electoral system that is practised in some countries including Malaysia, a three-corner fight often works in favour of a party that wouldn't have won in a straight fight.

This is because votes that would have otherwise gone to the winning party were split between two parties instead, and as a result neither party would have enough votes to win.

'Ensure straight fights'

Meanwhile, Khalid said that all parties that wish to bring BN's rule to an end should join Pakatan Harapan, or at least agree to cooperate and ensure straight fights.

“Nevertheless, Amanah wishes to remind that after agreeing to ensure straight fights as the way to defeat Umno and BN in the 14th general election, then the experience in the 13th general election must not repeat.

“As we all know, although there was an agreement to ensure straight fights during the 13th general election, especially on the peninsula, some had gone against what was mutually agreed upon. In the end, BN and Umno candidates won those seats,” he said.

Apart from ensuring straight fights, Khalid also proposed that there should be an agreement that no party would negotiate with Umno or BN after winning the election, which he said would be a clear betrayal to the cooperation to ensure straight fights.