PAS to form third force, joins hands with multiracial party
PAS will next Wednesday announce a political pact with a multiracial opposition party to face the next general election, said its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan today.
Calling it a "third force", he hopes the new bloc will grow in time and be an even match for Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 polls.
PAS will next Wednesday announce a political pact with a multiracial opposition party to face the next general election, said its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan today.
Calling it a "third force", he hopes the new bloc will grow in time and be an even match for Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 polls.
He also hopes more parties and NGOs will join the new pact.
"This is an opposition bloc. We are the third force... We are the opposition," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby.
He refused to reveal which registered opposition party PAS will sign a memorandun of understanding with, and urged the media to wait until March 16.
He, however, ruled out forming a partnership with Harapan parties.
The bloc will also not work with Umno and the BN anchor party is not backing the bloc, he added.
He said this when pressed on the party's stand on the Citizens' Declaration led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He also said that there are wide avenues and various paths in politics.
Takiyuddin said PAS is keen to cooperate with NGOs and political parties.
"Our party constitution allows us to work with anyone who has the same objectives and demands as us," he said.
"We still claim we are in Pakatan Rakyat with PKR; we are definitely not with Pakatan Harapan," he said.
At present, he said that PAS would not work with DAP.
However, he did not want to say if the new pact will contest in non-Malay majority seats in the coming general election.
But he did not rule out the possibility of three-cornered fights in some constituencies.
He claimed that PAS, with its strong one-million membership, will expand by roping in more parties and NGOs into its bloc.
PAS was seen as a weak party following the demise of Pakatan Rakyat.
Following the breakup, PAS's representatives in Parliament are reduced to 14.


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