Despite reports that PAS is crossing swords and going to the trenches with PKR over the coming twin by-elections, the Islamic party's president Abdul Hadi Awang insists that all is fine across party lines, and things are "normal" between them.

Nevertheless, he added, the Islamist party would contest in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-elections on June 18.

“We still have (a relationship), like normal. (Though) we will still contest (in the by-elections),” Hadi told reporters at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur last night, after chairing the PAS central working committee meeting.

He added that the PAS elections committee would soon announce the party's candidates for the by-elections.

Hadi was responding to a question on the current state of relations between PAS and PKR, after reports emerged of an ultimatum issued by Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to the Islamic party to vacate its state exco posts if it insists on contesting in Sungai Besar.

Asked what he would do if Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, followed through with the purported ultimatum, Hadi was non-committal.

“We’ll just wait whether he (Azmin) will do it or not. We will wait for his actions,” he said when pressed further.

'Ultimatum' to PAS

Hadi had said earlier that PAS is prepared to lose its exco posts in Selangor over its decision to contest in the twin by-elections.

English daily The Star reported last Thursday that Azmin had issued the ultimatum to PAS, though the MB denied the report that same day.

This follows speculation that Azmin is trying to broker a deal with PAS to stand down in the by-election for Sungai Besar, thus allowing a PKR candidate, representing Pakatan Harapan, to contest a direct fight with the BN.

However, Harapan coalition member Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), too, has expressed interest in contesting in the by-elections as it looks to be the permanent stand-in for the Islamic party in the new opposition pact.

The two seats were traditionally allocated to PAS in the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat.

Both the seats became vacant after the deaths of their incumbents, the late plantation industries and commodities deputy minister Noriah Kasnon and Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak, on May 5.