INTERVIEW | The possibility of three-cornered fights between BN, PAS and Pakatan Harapan in the 14th general elections (GE14) has shaped up to be a key concern over how PAS might split the Opposition’s votes and contribute towards BN retaining power.

Such is the worry, that it has appeared to cause rifts within Harapan, where a key faction within component party PKR is seeking to push for an alliance with PAS to avoid such fights despite opposition from almost everyone else in the coalition.

But despite previously commenting that a vote for PAS would mean “a vote for BN”, Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad seems to have come up with a more bleak prognosis for the Islamist party since.

“I don’t think PAS will perform well,” he tells Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview at his office in Putrajaya recently.

PAS has more entrenched support in the Eastern states of the Peninsular, particularly in Kelantan where it has governed for the past 27 years, but that voter base has been fractured by the PAS splinter party Amanah.

Formed in 2015 by former top PAS leaders booted out from the party leadership, it campaigns on a more progressive brand of Islamism.

“Although Amanah is a new party and maybe not very popular, we have seen many people who don’t like PAS (anymore).

“And when they see that Amanah is part of Harapan, they will vote for Harapan,” analyses Mahathir...