PAS sets sights on taking Perak, Pahang state govts next

PAS MUKTAMAR | PAS is planning to take over the Perak and Pahang state governments next, said the party’s election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

The Kedah menteri besar said that this was to take PAS “to the next level”.

“Apart from the four states (helmed by PAS), the party must plan how to move forward to the level in all states.

“(PAS must) take power in at least one state, be it Perak or Pahang. If not Perak, we go to Pahang.

“But if we get both, it would be great to increase our number of seats at the Parliament and state level,” he told delegates at the PAS Muktamar in Shah Alam this morning.

PAS currently helms the state governments of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

In August, Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad claimed there were attempts by Perikatan Nasional to get four state government assemblypersons to defect and take over the state.

Political insiders, who first alerted Malaysiakini to the Perak putsch attempt before Saarani held a press conference on it, claimed that similar plans were afoot in Pahang.

However, the speculation was that the opposition coalition was waiting to see the outcome of the Pelangai by-election, held earlier this month, before making a move.

BN ultimately won Pelangai with 62.37 percent of the votes cast but did this not discourage PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin who said that his coalition had performed better in the by-election compared to its results in the 15th general election.

‘Diversify moves’

In his closing speech, Sanusi also said that the party must do away with its “traditional strategies” and diversify its political moves to attract the youth. 

He added that the re-delineation of electoral boundaries, which is expected to take place prior to the next general election, should not bring an advantage to the existing coalition government.

“If they (the government) have a two-thirds majority in Parliament, it is time for them to hold the match.

“This should be of great importance to PAS so that the upcoming re-delineation will not give the opposing party an advantage.

“And the matter of how we decide that is within our hands. This government must be toppled,” he said.

The PAS central committee member also touched upon a lack of allocation for opposition MPs.

However, he “predicted” that allocations for opposition MPs would begin within the next three months, receiving cheers from the crowd.

“It’s a prediction. But usually my predictions come true,” he said in jest.

Government leaders have been urging Perikatan Nasional MPs to hold negotiations over the amount of allocation the latter should receive.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said on Oct 10 that he had not received any official letter from the MPs involved to hold any meeting.

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