PAS has not named its prime ministerial candidate as it is too early to do so, said party vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah today.

Although he insisted that PAS has a suitable candidate to be named for the post, to put it forward now would be akin to "naming the baby before the wife gets pregnant."

"It is too early now (to name the PM candidate) before the election is yet to take place. That is why we are not too eager to name the PM candidate.

"I would say it is like 'the wife is not yet pregnant, but one goes to town with the baby's name. (At least) get her pregnant first.

"Now the Parliament is not yet dissolved, and we don't know how many seats we will get, but God willing, (PAS) will have the right candidate," he told reporters in Kota Bharu.

Nik Amar said this in response to a question by Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad (photo) on whether PAS supported him or Najib Abdul Razak as prime minister, or whether it had a candidate of its own.

According to Nik Amar, PAS supported neither Najib nor Mahathir to lead the country.

"We will not choose either of them; both have their own (track) record and problems."

Elaborating on PAS' target of getting 40 parliamentary seats, Nik Amar, who is also the Kelantan deputy menteri besar, said it was merely the party's minimum target.

Citing predictions by analysts that no party will get dominant seats in the 14th general election, Nik Amar said the 40 seats will give the Islamist party the "bargaining power."

"It's like doing business, we set a minimum and maximum profit amount, to break even. The 40 seats are not our ultimate aim, but something that would give us some bargaining power," he said.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had previously said that if PAS wins 40 seats, it can play the role of "kingmaker," by influencing either BN and Harapan to do its bidding.